The Lone Wolf and the Detective
by F4llon
Summary: Callen's gone Lone Wolf, but he reaches out to Detective Marty Deeks. After tragedy strikes Callen, Deeks is determined to not only help him seek revenge, but to give him something to live for.
1. Chapter 1

**The Lone Wolf and the Detective**

 _Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine._

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

Detective Marty Deeks scanned the area before he made his way under the Santa Monica Pier. He couldn't risk being followed. Reassured he was safe, he swiftly moved underneath the wooden structure, the waves crashed against the pylons, battling an ongoing war between water and tree. It didn't take him long to find the lone figure sitting against one of the pylons, watching his every move.

"You know, everyone is worried about you. Sam is testy, Hetty has hedged herself in with invisible walls. What's going on?"

The cerulean orbs of G. Callen stared back at him. His hair had grown to the lengths when he had been undercover as Stephen Walinski, his beard slightly longer. He was almost unrecognisable except for those eyes.

Marty Deeks scratched his head as he sat down beside his former team leader. "We all miss you. We're lost without you."

Callen fisted his hands on his bunched up knees to his chest. "You'll all get over it."

Deeks studied him, he'd lost a great deal of weight, hollows deepened in his cheeks, shadows hung under his eyes.

"That's where you're wrong. We won't. Not until you return home."

Callen gave a muffled chuckle, even for him, it sounded foreign. "Home. I've never had a home. Only temporary locations of residence."

"That's crap, and you know it." Deeks heaved out a sigh. "If you're going to continue to be such a jerk and push everyone that matters away, then I'm out of here."

Callen grabbed his arm causing a rush of pain to his upper arm. Deeks' eyes widened, caution heightened for the Detective.

"I need your help." It had been a huge ask for Callen to rely on the Detective, but it was his last chance.

He quickly released the hold on his arm, "I'm sorry."

Marty rubbed his arm, the throbbing continued but he'd live. "What do you want?"

"I need you to get access into LAPD's system, find out how the Comescus got access to my alias and about my personal life."

"You think the leak came from there?"

"I don't think, Deeks, I know. Someone is on their payroll. That someone has to pay."

"You're not going out for revenge on your own? Sam will kill me if he finds out I've helped you, and I've not told him."

"Then make sure he never finds out," Callen growled.

"Nell and Eric are trying their best, they've been searching for all known contacts to the Comescus inside the U.S. for the past five weeks. All other cases have been passed onto other teams. We're here for you."

"You're all in danger, Deeks. They'll pick you all off one by one. If I stay, you'll all die. I can't risk it. I just need the name of the person who leaked my details and then I'm out of here."

"You know we can take care of ourselves and that we're already in this with you, whether you like it or not."

Callen's blue eyes became cold as ice. "Did you lose your pregnant wife?"

Deeks shuddered, "no. I never knew she was pregnant, I'm so sorry…"

"No one knew except for…" a spark of recognition entered Callen's eyes. "The doctor." How did he not think of this before now? He stood up to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"To kill someone." He narrowed his eyes, every muscle in his body tensed.

"Oh no you're not." Deeks' synapses worked in record time, he grabbed his cuffs and wrestled Callen to the ground.

"Get off me, you bastard."

"I'd rather be a bastard and alive, than a dead partner and friend who didn't have your best interest at heart." He secured Callen's hands behind his back and lifted him up to standing. "We're going to the boat shed, it will give you time to cool off and realise that you need us. All of us. Then and only then will I look into LAPD's systems, although I'm certain that Eric and Nell can do that faster their way, than through my channels. Then I will inquire with Joelle's doctor, to find out if they leaked anything to the Comescus."

Fire flared in Callen's orbs, his jaw clenched as he fought Deeks with all that he had. He twisted himself and head charged at him, but Deeks had studied Callen's moves while sparring with Sam over the years and he was one step ahead.

"Don't you think I know that move by now?"

Callen snarled at him, "let me go."

Deeks shook his head, "no." He told him plainly like he would to Monty, when he did the wrong thing.

"When I get out of these, I swear I'm going to kill you with my bare hands."

"Then I better make sure that you don't get loose." Deeks narrowed his eyes, Callen was behaving like a wild bear, ready to kill whoever got in his way of his revenge. He took a deep breath, this was not going to be pretty.

"You know I will, there's no way you're keeping me locked up."

"Are you really going to fight me all the way on this, Callen?" Deeks pushed his head down into the vehicle and closed the door. He climbed into the driver seat and buckled in, revving the engine. He'd not gone with the intention of forcing Callen's hand, he understood the grief he was in, but something needed to be done before there was no turning back for the former NCIS Federal Agent.

The drive was short and he'd dialled into Ops. "Eric, I need Sam and Hetty to meet me at the Boat Shed. And tell Hetty, I have secured the package."

Eric's eyes widened, Nell picked up immediately something was going on, she spun her chair to face him.

"I'll let them know." Eric disconnected the call and called down stairs.

"Sam, Deeks called. He's got Callen. He'll meet you at the Boat Shed. Can you make sure Hetty goes, Callen's going to need her."

"Sure." Sam looked over towards their Operations Manager. She had her head in a rather large book, getting her attention wasn't going to be easy.

"Thanks, Eric." Sam hung up and looked over to Kensi. "Deeks has found G. He's taking him to the Boat Shed."

"Finally."

No one had seen Callen since Joelle's funeral, four weeks ago. It had been heart breaking, finally he'd had the chance to have a piece of normality. A wife and children. Then before they'd settled into life as newlyweds, Joelle had been gunned down outside their home. No one knew that she was ten weeks pregnant. It had been the final blow for Callen.

Sam strolled over to Hetty's office and knocked on the pillar. "Hetty?"

The woman continued to ignore all of those around her, trying with all her might to forget Callen's absence and the tragedy that had struck him once again. Another Callen dead in the blood feud with the Comescus. Callen hadn't asked for any of it. Life had been cruel to him for too long.

Sam looked at his watch, they needed to get going. He stepped forward and snatched the book from her hands. "Hetty we've got to go."

She looked up over the top of her glasses, annoyed. "Give that back, Mr Hanna."

"No. You're coming with me."

"I don't think so."

"Deeks is meeting us in the Boat Shed. He's found G."

Her expression softened, her lips slightly parted. "He has?"

"Yes. Let's go. I'm driving."

Hetty was not in the mood to argue, she merely nodded and followed him out the door.

 _ **Boat Shed**_

Callen could hear the waves lapping underneath him, his need to escape out of there grew stronger each breath he took. He didn't like being tied up, no one locked him up and got away with it. He writhed his body on the metal chair, despising Deeks as time continued.

"Let me out of here, Deeks, or I'm going to kill you with my bare hands."

The door opened, "I sincerely hope there was no malice behind that comment, Mr Callen."

Callen shifted his chair sideways to look at her better. She'd aged since he'd last seen her, he narrowed his eyes pondering on the reasons why.

"You've looked better, Mr Callen. I see Mr Deeks had to force you to return to your family."

"I have no family," he spat out. "They took them all from me. Why don't they come and kill me too?" The pain was too great, he leaned over the table and choked on a sob. He flinched at her gentle touch.

"I'm so sorry, my dearest boy. You've really had it harsh. I wish with all my might that there was something I could do to take your pain away." She meant every word, she felt his pain inside her own heart, it shattered into tiny pieces as he crumbled beneath her touch.

"Let me go." He looked up at her, his eyes were red and swollen. "PLEASE!"

It tore at her heartstrings to see him beg with her like this. "Mr Getz will arrive in a few hours. Until I am certain that you won't run off on your own again, you are to remain here."

His breathing became fast and heavy. "No!"

"Remember I know your history better than you do. You are a flight risk. I cannot afford to have you go off and fight the Comescus on your own. You have your family by your side to help you get through this."

"I don't intend on getting through this, Hetty. What for? I have lost everything that matters to me. My wife, our baby…" He sobbed, he couldn't continue.

"Let me out of here. NOW!" He was desperate, he didn't want his life to come to this.

Sam couldn't take it any longer, he'd watched from the main room, Hetty sat there in shock. Joelle had been pregnant when she was shot. History repeated itself. She'd never had the courage to tell him that his own mother had been pregnant with her third child when she had been killed in Constanta. But she had known, and once again, the Comescus hit his family hard.

Sam barged in. "Hetty, we need to release him. This is too cruel." The protective side of Sam shone through, he needed to help his old partner, but not like this.

Hetty pursed her lips, she knew she had to do something to keep him there, but she was torn on what to do. It broke her heart to see her boy like this.

"Very well, but, Mr Hanna. He's your responsibility. If he runs, you better run faster."

Sam nodded and unlocked the cuffs, Deeks had ensured he'd removed Callen's watch and hair pin to prevent him from escaping.

Callen's wrists burned from the abrasion of the cuffs. He rubbed them gently to soothe the pain. "Thanks."

He looked down at the table, if he looked up at Sam he knew his resolve to run and fight his own revenge on those responsible for his wife and child's death, would crumble.

Hetty observed him, she looked up at Sam and nodded. She'd tried, perhaps Sam might get further with him. She stood and moved to the chair in the far corner.

"G," Sam spoke to him softly. "Please, look at me." He moved his hand to cover Callen's, his old partner pulled back, he looked up and the pain that he saw in his eyes, rocked him.

"Crap, G. You've got to take better care of yourself. You need to eat and when was the last time you slept?"

Callen shrugged, he'd been hiding on the streets and abandoned buildings for the past four weeks, hiding, searching for information to find out who had spilled to the Comescus. The attack had come as a shock. They'd all thought he was safe from the Romanian crime family. After their slaughter at the Beach House when they went in to rescue Hetty, Dracul's death in Hawaii and then Vasile's attack three years earlier. Had it really been three years ago? He remembered it well, like it had only happened a few months ago. The writing in blood on the wall, the kidnapped man, "Callen, we have your father." The stranger telling him at gunpoint that he was his father, Nikita Alexander Reznikov. Only to be shot by Vasile's men. His team had come to back him up the last time he'd gone lone wolf. He needed to be sure if this man really was his father. Now he knew the truth, Nikita lived, he escaped the Gulag and changed his name to Konstantine Chernoff and lived until 2008. He knew from that moment on, that he was alone in the world. An orphan with no siblings. His sister had died at age eleven, drowned in a river. But now he wondered if the Comescus had gotten to her and were responsible for her death too. Perhaps he just needed to blame them, they'd killed everyone else. But Joelle and their baby hadn't deserved to die. They weren't part of this war. They were suppose to kill him.

Anger surged through his veins, he stood and threw the metal chair over to the other side of the room.

"I'll have plenty of time to sleep when I'm dead." His rage escaped, he looked over to Hetty, who gave him that look she'd given him when he was fifteen and out of control. Yes, she was right. Hetty knew his history better than anyone. She knew the rage that threatened to burst at a moment's notice. But it wasn't something he could control, after all the years of abuse and neglect, there was nothing left of him but the rage. Then Hetty stepped in, saved him and helped him get a grip of the rage and tame it. It had been a challenge for the teenage version of himself and at times as an adult, he struggled to fight it off. But now he had nothing to live for. Everything that mattered to him, gone or would be if he stayed.

"So you're just going to give up? Let the Comescus win?"

"They have won, Sam. Don't you see it? I'm all that's left, and there's nothing but a shell."

Sam walked around the table and sat on the edge, hoping to calm him down. "G." You're not all that's left. We're here too. Your battle is our battle. All for one and one for all."

"I was never a musketeer, Sam. Nor a SEAL. I've never been a team player like you, I've only ever had me."

"You're wrong." All eyes looked to see Deeks enter the room.

Callen's rage resurfaced. "Get the hell out of here, Deeks."

"You going to kill me, is that it? Like that's going to solve all your problems."

Callen lunged forward to strike the Detective, but Deeks was quick and ducked.

"Is that all you can do?" Deeks was toying with him, he understood the rage, he'd been there himself, but for a different reason. Callen lunged again, Deeks countered his move. "We should be in the gym for this, not in here. It's kind of suffocating, don't you think?"

"Shut up, Deeks." Callen roared, he ran at him, but he fell as Deeks stepped to the side.

"You need to eat and sleep, then we'll meet in the gym on the mat." Deeks turned and exited the room, he set a challenge for Callen, to keep him going. A reason to fight to live.

"Why did you do that?" Kensi stood in front of the television screen watching the remnants of the man she admired and loved like a big brother.

"He's lost all hope to live, Kens. I've got to give him a purpose."

She studied him for a moment, "you know what that's like, don't you?" She looked to the screen, "to be so lost, no hope of anything,"

He stepped forward and placed his hand on her shoulder, turning her around. He pulled her in and held her by the small of her back. "Yes, just like I know you do."

Her eyes locked on his, she tried to argue, but he was right.

"You never told me you lived on the streets after your father died, Kens. You talk a lot about your dad, all the things he taught you, but not how you survived after you lost him."

"He was my life. The pain was too much. I couldn't stay where I was, I had to vanish to heal the pain."

"But it ate at you for years, you joined NCIS to find answers and his killer."

She nodded, they all knew the truth after her father's killer tried to frame her and then kill her when that hadn't worked.

"That's what Callen's doing, hiding from the realities of what he's lost, but it's still eating at him. Look at how thin he is. I bet he's not had one descent meal in four weeks. Nor has he slept and that says something, considering the Callen we know doesn't sleep much anyway. He wants revenge, no matter what the cost. I will not stand back and watch him get himself killed, just because he won't allow us to help him."

Kensi moved her hands down his arms and snuggled into him. "You're a good man, Marty. You care about us, all of us, no matter how badly we treat you back."

"Callen doesn't mean what he's saying. He's grieving. He's lost his wife and baby. I can't even begin to imagine the pain…"

She heard his heart thump hard in his chest, she knew he was referring to her and their child. Milly was safe at home with her mother, it had been the one consolation out of everything that had happened —- they had their precious baby girl to go home to at the end of the day. Ten months old, she was the light to the darkening world.

"Then we've got to make him realise that we're here to help him. We will find whose responsible and make them pay."

Deeks kissed her hard on the lips, he loved her more than words could say. "That's what I've been trying to tell him. Which is why I cuffed him and brought him here. I hoped that Hetty and Sam would get through to him, but he's fighting it all the way."

"Which is why you went in to make him fight you."

"Yes."

She held him tight, how had she had her fortune turned around and found him? She looked over to the screen, the answer to that sat in the corner of the room watching Sam consoling Callen on the boat shed floor.

"That was a very brave move you made in there, Mr Deeks." Deeks and Kensi looked over to their formidable Operations Manager as she entered the main room of the boat shed.

"He's going lone wolf, Hetty. He's given up on life, he'll get his revenge even if it ends his life. Someone has to fight for him, make him see that he's not alone and that we'll fight beside him."

Hetty nodded and smiled over to him. Her decision to add him to her team had been a wise move, he was a valuable addition.

"And that I know you will all do that for Mr Callen." She stepped forward and switched the television off, the scene inside the interrogation room should be left a private one. "I need to move him to my place, somewhere he feels safe. Mr Hanna and I will stay with him until Mr Getz arrives. You're both welcome to join us, you appear to be the only one breaking through with Mr Callen at present."

Kensi nodded, it sounded like a good plan. "I'm in."

Deeks shook his head, "I can't. I promised Callen I'd look into a few things for him first. But I need a partner, and currently my partner has resigned, so…"

Hetty pursed her lips, she knew where he was going with it. "You know the rules, Mr Deeks. The moment the two of you were married, you had to change partners. I understand your frustrations over losing Mr Callen as your partner, after only a year, but you are doing the best a partner can do."

"I should be doing more for him, Hetty. If someone in LAPD revealed his alias to the Comescus and that led to Joelle's death, then I am at fault."

Hetty and Kensi's eyes widened, "Where did you hear that one from, Mr Deeks?"

"Callen called me to meet with him. He needed my help to get into LAPD database, to see if someone was on the Comescu payroll. If that is true, then I burned him and led them to Joelle." His gut clenched tight, guilt washed over him. He needed to find who was at fault and seek revenge for Callen.

Hetty shook her head, Kensi furrowed her brow with worry.

"No, Mr Deeks, that is where you are wrong. If by you being partnered with Mr Callen resulted in someone in LAPD burning his true identity to the Comescus, you cannot be blamed for this. You didn't burn his alias, nor his relationship with Ms Taylor. BUT, when we do find out who is at fault here, they will regret the day they were born."

Deeks heaved out a heavy sigh. "But, Hetty…if they knew me to be a cop and the liaison with NCIS, then it would have been easy for them to find Callen."

"You still didn't do anything wrong." Her own frustrations slipped through her usual stoic facade.

"It still doesn't change the fact that I need to chase some things up for Callen. He needs me to do this, I won't let him down. Now Hetty, I need my old partner for some surveillance."

She eyed him for a moment. "Which old partner?"

Deeks looked over to his wife, gorgeous as the day he first met her, when she tried to pretend to be a dead marine's girlfriend called Tracy.

"Surveillance only, Mr and Mrs Deeks. If I find you involved in anything further, consequences will be delivered your way."

They nodded. Deeks grabbed the car keys and led the way out.

"Milly depends on you both coming home tonight," she called out to them, to confirm her reason why she was strict on her rules. Their daughter could not risk losing either of her parents, let alone both. She would not allow another of her people's children to grow up without their family like her boy had. She really was getting too old for this.

 _ **Cedar-Sinai Medical Centre**_

Marty and Kensi sat outside the Medical Centre where Callen and Joelle had visited for their first ultrasound. He sat with the digital camera on his lap, ready to take photos of anyone who looked suspicious.

Kensi dialled her cell. "Nell, can you look up the following staff at the Cedar-Sinai Medical Centre?"

Nell busied herself at her computer, bringing them up on her screen. "Got them. Sending their photos to your cells now."

"Thanks." Kensi looked at her screen, showing Marty their images. "Can you do a thorough background check on them, we need to find out if anyone there is responsible for burning Callen and Joelle."

Nell furrowed her brow. "Why these people? What do they…" her eyes widened at the details on who these medical staff were. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, it suddenly felt dry causing her to cough.

"Joelle was pregnant, Nell." The news hit the younger woman hard, her hand lifted to her mouth, stifling a cry of shock."

Eric looked over to her with worry. "Nell?" He kitted his brows and laid a hand on her shoulder. She flinched at the contact, her senses were jittery from the news.

She turned and nodded to Eric. "Callen, did he know?"

"Yes. He told Marty when they met earlier. We're outside the Medical Centre on surveillance. Anything you can give us to help find whoever is responsible, the better. We cannot afford for Callen to go lone wolf on this."

"We'll do our best." She disconnected the call, Eric remained his gaze on her.

"Nell?"

She took in a deep breath and slowly breathed out. "She was pregnant. Joelle was.."

Eric moved in and held her in his arms, he allowed the news to sink in and for her to cry.

"It's not fair, Eric. It's just not fair. Callen deserves to be happy, to have a family. To be a dad."

"I know, Nell. I know." He let her free, his own thoughts went into the dark shadows of how cruel life had been for Callen. Sadness entered his heart.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Lone Wolf and the Detective**

 _Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine._

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Two hours went by, Marty was getting restless. "I've got to go in there…that's were we went, Kens, where Milly was born."

She squeezed his hand, "I know. But you heard Hetty, we've got to stay here."

He turned to face her and nodded. "I know, I just feel so helpless."

"We all do. But we will find out who did this, together we will get revenge for Callen, Joelle and their baby."

A tear spilled down his cheek, she wiped it away.

"It could have been us," he choked on a sob, it had haunted him for five weeks. "What if an enemy of mine came after you and Milly?"

"They haven't. Callen's problems with the Comescus have been around for more than his lifetime, way before he and Joelle ever met. He knew the risk to get involved, he had a chance to have it normal, but they came back for another attack. He thought it was over, that it was safe."

"That's exactly what I mean. I was shot to get to you before. Who says I'm not a weak link again?"

"You've learned from the past, Marty. You're pretty much an NCIS Agent, you've done all the training, you have the experience and you know how to take all the precautions to keep yourself, us and the team safe." She furrowed her brow, a familiar face walked past their vehicle. She moved in to kiss her husband to hide from view.

Deeks held the back of her head and deepened the kiss. He missed their time alone out in the field. He understood the need to separate them, but he missed her most of all.

He pulled apart from her. "You know Hetty wouldn't approve of us kissing on the clock unless it was for cover."

"It was."

He raised a brow, Kensi snatched the camera and focused on the suspect and snapped shots as they entered the Medical Centre. "You know, there's a lot of people coming and going into a hospital all the time. Sick people, the injured, family and friends visiting, people with appointments and staff." Kensi turned to Deeks. "This person look familiar to you?"

Deeks took the camera from her and studied the image. He furrowed his brow and looked back outside to where the person had entered. "Callen said there was someone in LAPD who was on the Comescu payroll. I never thought he would betray me or any of you…"

"Callen and Sam paid him a visit after you were shot," Kensi shuddered at the memory.

"They did?"

"Yes. They had to look into everyone who could possibly be a threat to you."

"I remember you asking me for names, but Versey, I helped him. He wouldn't betray me like that?" He looked out the window again, a serious expression set hard in his face.

"This is not your fault, Marty. We have no proof, just because I saw him enter today doesn't mean he was here weeks ago when Callen and Joelle came for their visit. All I'm saying, there is a huge possibility that anyone could have seen them enter and followed them to their appointment."

Deeks turned and kissed her on the lips. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Kensi parted her lips, about to say something when Deeks picked up his cell and dialled Eric. "Eric, I need you and Nell to go over the footage from when Callen and Joelle had their appointment at Cedar-Sinai Medical Centre. We're coming back to help you."

"Okay, see you soon." Eric hung up and looked at Nell. "They're coming back to help us look at the security footage from Callen and Joelle's appointment."

Nell nodded. "More eyes the better. We just need the date from Callen." She dialled Sam hoping he was still with Callen.

"Nell, now's not a good time." Sam looked at his old partner, he'd curled up into the corner of the bedroom where he spent the latter of his teenage years.

"We need some information from Callen."

"I don't think Callen's in the position to answer questions."

"We have to try. The date and time of their appointment at Cedar-Sinai Medical Centre. It will help us pin point which security footage we need to scour. Deeks believes someone was at the hospital and found out Joelle was his wife and that she was pregnant." She held her chest just over her heart, her pulse quickened. The whole situation had her tossing in her sleep. Now she knew that Joelle had been pregnant, it caused a sharp pain inside her heart.

"I'll give it a try. I'll call you back." Sam placed his cell down on the bed and sat down beside Callen.

"G." Callen looked over to Sam, the softness in his voice caught his attention.

"What date did you go to Cedar-Sinai Medical Centre?"

Callen fidgeted with his hands, memories of his wife were too painful, he'd blocked the past from his mind other than seeking revenge.

"G, we're trying to help, but we can't if you don't help us."

Callen pierced Sam's soft brown eyes with his cerulean orbs. It amazed Sam how Callen could turn his blue eyes from a summer sky to cold ice in an instant. He hit his head with his hand, scrunching his long hair between his fingers. Pain shot through his scalp as he tried to remember details. His body shook as memories skittered across his synapses from happier times. "September 2nd, it was a Friday. Eight in the morning, so I could go into work afterwards."

"That's good, G. Thanks." Sam moved over to his cell and dialled Nell.

"We have a date and time." Sam repeated the details over to Nell and disconnected the call. When he turned, the sight before him shocked him.

Callen rocked his body, hitting his head as he moved, like he was trying to erase the happy memory. Sam moved back over and wrapped his arms around him.

"I'm here for you, G. I'm not going anywhere." Tears spilled from Callen's red rimmed eyes, "it's okay to cry, G."

Callen broke, he choked on a sob and let his pain take over. His grief he'd pushed away while he focused, but he couldn't do it anymore. He'd lost his wife and child. He thought his life couldn't have become any more wretched than it had already been. He'd underestimated the evil of the Comescus.

Sam felt the rage reemerge, as it travelled through Callen's body. It overtook the grief and Callen pushed him away.

"I'm not a child," he spat. Venom laced his words. "I need to get out of here." He paced like a caged tiger wanting to get loose and make a kill.

"Not yet, G. Nate's coming, remember?"

"I don't want to talk to Nate, I need to kill them."

"Who do you want to kill, G?" Sam hated to see this side of his brother, before this, Callen always sought to be the protector, but he wasn't there to protect those who mattered the most to him.

"Comescu. Every single one of them. Man, woman, ch…ch…ch…" he broke, the grief slipped out from his rage, he couldn't go there. He wasn't evil like the Comescus. He crumbled to his knees.

"We'll get your revenge, G. But you need to take care of yourself. Talk about it to Nate, sleep and eat properly. I don't mean that road side truck crap you call food either. I mean home cooked food."

"I had that," Callen snarled. "Jo cooked every night for me. What am I suppose to do now?" His voice cracked at the seams, how could he go on.

A knock on the door brought a halt to their discussion. Hetty entered and brought a tray of soup to the table. "I've brought you soup, Mr Callen." She left them in peace, it was difficult for her to see her boy in this state. She was thankful Sam was there to stay with Callen.

 _ **OSP**_

Deeks and Kensi ran into the mission as fast as they could until they entered the sliding doors into Ops.

"Okay, let's take a look." Eric brought the security footage up on the screen and all four sets of eyes were glued to the scene before them. It was hard to say the least, seeing Callen and Joelle enter holding hands and heading for the elevator.

"Freeze it, Eric." Deeks stepped forward. "Do we have another angle of the people in the foyer here?"

Eric and Nell took a look into the Medical Centre's security system. It hadn't taken them long to get a warrant for the footage. Thankfully, the hospital kept their security footage longer than most places. They really should have looked at this weeks ago, but until today, they had no knowledge of its relevance.

"Is this angle better?"

They all looked at Callen and Joelle enter from a side angle. Seeing Joelle alive and smiling caught them by surprise.

Marty Deeks remained focused. He couldn't allow seeing Joelle alive and happy distract him, but his heart slammed against his chest and he was certain his heart would force its way up into his throat and choke him at any moment.

"This person here," Deeks points out. "They're walking out of the hospital but then they turn and take a second look at Callen. They hesitate and then they follow them."

They all watch the man follow Callen and Joelle.

"Callen didn't even notice him," Deeks said in shock. "Callen's always on guard looking for danger."

"He was distracted," Kensi stepped beside him.

"He was happy," Nell added. Tears well up in her eyes again and she grabbed a tissue and blew into it.

Watching how happy Callen and Joelle were, newlyweds and expectant parents ripped into their souls. All hope for Callen vanished the day the Comescus killed Joelle and their child.

A determination took over Deeks' visage. "Do we know who this man is?"

"I'm doing a trace on him now." Eric sat back at his station and added the image from the footage.

"Can you keep going with the footage?" Deeks needed to see more, in hope that they got a clue on who this man was.

No one dared blink incase they missed it. Eric brought each camera footage up onto the screen like thumbnails, their eyes darted from one to another, trying to join the pieces of that day that signed Joelle's death warrant.

Deeks went cold, all blood rushed from his head, he grabbed out to a chair to hold him steady. Kensi looked over to him with worry.

"Deeks, are you okay?"

His eyes remained fixed, he didn't hear her question. He couldn't afford to miss a split second of detail. "There." His breath was short and thready. He fisted his hands, anger rolled over him. He stepped back and bolted.

"Marty," Kensi ran after him.

"Where's he going?" Eric looked puzzled at the images up on the screen. He froze when Deeks said 'there,' but he wasn't sure which footage had caught the Detective's attention. Nell and Eric stepped forward and stood where Deeks and Kensi had been when he's spotted something.

"I don't see it," Eric scratched his head.

"Me neither," Nell shook her head, her brows furrowed, studying all of the images.

"Gotcha." Eric returned to his computer and brought one of the video footages forward to take up the whole screen.

"Jeff Versey. What was he doing there?"

"Isn't he the one Sam and Callen questioned when Deeks was shot?" Nell looked over to Eric who was typing at lightening speeds at his computer.

"Yes, he checked out. Deeks helped him turn his life around. Sponsored him to GA meetings. He got into trouble with a gambling addition."

"Hmm!" Nell sat beside him and joined the background search on Versey.

"Hmm what?" Eric pushed his glasses closer to his face.

"People who can't get financing the legal way due to bad debts usually find shadier avenues to get a loan."

"You think Versey returned to his dark past and got into debt again?"

"Or he wanted a loan, say for a new car or a house, got refused and went searching for another way. Met someone who knew someone…" Nell continued.

"Who led him to the Comescus." Eric shook his head.

"They do their own background check on Versey, find out he's a cop and force him to find Callen," Nell sighed. "Deeks must of realised Versey is the culprit and ran to get him."

"I'll ring Sam. He'll want to make sure Deeks doesn't do anything stupid."

"Good idea."

 _ **Silver SUV — on route to Cedar-Sinai Medical Centre**_

Anger surged through Marty Deeks, how stupid could he have been? He invited Versey to their wedding, he'd trusted him with his NCIS family. He'd tried his best to help him turn his life around, why had he done this to him? He felt like Versey had kicked him in the stomach.

Kensi looked worriedly over to him as she clung onto the car door and seat, as he drove like a madman. "Marty, please slow down. Remember Milly."

He eased on the peddle, the mention of their precious daughter, her light brown curls, his matching blue eyes, soft pink lips and that laughter that melted his heart. "Dadda." The thought of losing her felt like someone ripping his heart out of his chest and tightly squeezing it.

He nodded over to his wife, "sorry."

"We last saw Versey at the Medical Centre. Let's go and see if he's still there and why he was there today, like he was on September 2."

He pulled over to another parking spot from before and waited. He saw Versey's vehicle still in the parking lot. "He's still here."

"Good. That will make it easier for us to follow him. That's all we're going to do, okay?"

The look he gave her, made her jolt. "Marty," she warned.

"I'm sorry, Kens, but I need to face him."

"We need back up if that's what were going to do."

"Like who? Callen is in no fit state, and if you haven't forgotten, he resigned the day Joelle was gunned down." He took in a deep breath to control his anger. "Sam is busy babysitting him, you saw how bad he was, that's not the Callen we know."

"I know." She gently placed her hand on his arm. "We'll help him get through this."

"What if he doesn't?"

"We'll make sure he does. With friends like you, he will." She gave him a hint of a smile, she saw the efforts he was going to, to help Callen. It took courage to face Callen in his current state.

"You think Callen sees me as his friend?"

"Of course he does. And family. We're the only family he's got left you know."

Deeks nodded, "I know. He told me we were all in danger from the Comescus because of him. He thinks he's to blame and that he should stay far away from us." He wiped his hand over his face, he was tired, but the determination in helping Callen urged him on. "I told him that we can take care of ourselves and that we were in this already, whether he wanted us to be or not."

"Good. He needs to know that."

Deeks looked into her dark brown eyes, they were almost black like her pupils. "When we go to Romania, I don't want you to come."

"What? You can't be serious? Of course I will go. To fight beside my team for Callen." She was offended at his suggestion.

"I'm deadly serious, Kens. I need you to stay here, be safe, make sure Milly still has a parent." A dark cloud overshadowed him.

She shook her head. "You're talking ridiculous, Marty. If you go, I go."

"No. They killed Callen's wife and child. I'm not letting them kill my wife and having our child become an orphan."

His words sent a chill down her spine. "Marty, it won't come to that."

"But it might." He was prepared to go into battle, to fight beside his partner at all costs.

"You're talking as silly as Callen is. He has an excuse for his talk, but you…you're not going anywhere if that is how you're thinking."

He held her by the shoulders. "I don't plan on dying, but I can't focus worrying about you. I need to make sure Callen makes it out of there alive."

She stared into his blue eyes, she saw how serious he was, his resolve was strong and there was no budging him on it.

She nodded. "Okay. I' will stay behind. But you need a fourth."

"Granger. We'll take him." Deeks' mind was already made up. Once he got the information from Versey and he had him dealt with, they needed to get Callen's strength back and deal with the Comescus once and for all.

"Granger. You think Callen will allow him to come?" Deeks suddenly asked, uncertain.

"He won't have a choice. When he's up to proving he's ready to face the Comescus, he'll have to listen to us on how this is going down. He's not going lone wolf on us again."

"He's far from ready."

"I know. That's why I set up the fight in the gym. Short term goal for him to eat and sleep so he can beat the crap out of me."

"You don't have to do that, Marty."

"He needs to. And I need to know he'll have my back when we're over there."

She nodded, it made sense. She was certain Hetty would agree with him too.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Lone Wolf and the Detective**

 _Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine._

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Deeks and Kensi waited for Sam to turn up, and for Versey to appear. He fidgeted and Kensi shook her head and smiled.

"You know, I should put you and Milly in day care together. You could keep each other company with your fidgeting."

A smile hinted at the edge of his lips. "Then you wouldn't need to put her in day care. She'd be in Daddy Care. The best care in the world." His smile widened. "We can go on pretend car chases, shoot the bad guys and Milly can ninja attack them until they're unconscious."

Kensi's mouth dropped, horror spread across her face. "You wouldn't?"

He nodded. "Oh we would, and here would be the safest place in the world . And after the end of a hard day's work, we'll curl up in front of the T.V. watching cartoons, eating donuts and ice-cream, all smothered over our faces. And you would come home all achey and grumbly after missing us all day and join us."

He touched her heart and she leaned in to kiss him.

A knock on the window made them both jump.

"You're supposed to be on surveillance, not making a sibling for Milly." Sam glared at them, then his dimples deepened when he began to chuckle. He climbed into the back seat. "The look on your faces was priceless."

Both Deeks and Kensi blushed, they'd let their guard down for but a moment, and Sam had caught them out. "We've been watching, what took you so long?"

"Had to make sure G ate his soup."

"Hetty's made him soup?" Deeks raised his brow. "He's going to need something stronger than soup to get him back to his strength."

"I agree, but it's a start." Sam sat back in the chair. "So what were you about to do?"

Deeks cleared his throat and gave Kensi a sideway glance.

Kensi kept her focus on the Medical Centre. "Deeks was telling me a story to keep me entertained."

"You falling for that move again, Kens? Haven't you learned from the last time, when he got you pregnant with Milly?"

"I was telling her a story about Milly."

Sam shook his head. "Way to go, Deeks. Smooth move on the Mrs, anything to get her barefoot and pregnant again."

A wry smile crept across Deeks' face. "Two would be fun."

"Two is hard work," Sam reminded them. "Both of you are an only child, you have no idea what you'll be in for. One is a shock, two is bedlam."

"I can do bed-lam." Deeks winked over to Kensi, she snorted at his joke.

"You two are crazy. No wonder Hetty split you up. You're like newly weds, still on your honeymoon after how long?"

"Fourteen months and three days." Kensi looked at Deeks impressed.

"Precisely. You should be arguing by now."

"You know, Kens, no matter how many you have, you'll always have an extra child to take care of."

"Hang on a minute," Deeks interjected. The lawyer in him peered out through his scruffy facade. "I am not a kid, I am, if I might remind you, a lawyer and a damn good detective. You might be the extra child for Michelle, but I can take care of myself."

"Touché," Kensi responded. She was proud of him for standing up for himself against Sam.

Sam smiled at him. "Good, because I need you to be the tough lawyer and detective when we go to Romania. I need to make sure you'll be focused to have G's back."

"Of course you can count on me, Sam." His heart swelled for a brief moment, he knew Sam's methods were tough on the outside, but soft on the inside.

"I know, I just need to be sure that you will be focused over there. I can't risk losing either of you."

His admission caught Deeks by surprise. "You say what?"

Sam cleared his throat. "I can't risk losing you or G. You're my brothers, family stick together."

"Brothers," his smile widened. He liked the sound of that very much.

"I'll make sure Kensi will be safe, you focus on G."

"She's not coming with us," Deeks looked at the revision mirror and caught Sam's eyes. "I can't focus worrying about her. If we can't be partners, I need to know she's safe."

"You don't trust me to have your wife's back?" Sam was caught off guard, here was Deeks telling him he didn't trust him to protect Kensi.

"I do, it's the Comescus I don't trust. Not after what they did to Joelle, I can't deal with…"

Sam squeezed his shoulder from behind. "I get it. But Kensi is a tough girl, she can protect herself. Joelle had no agent training, she refused to hold a gun for her own protection."

"I've asked Granger if he will come instead. He agrees with me on this."

"Granger? The last time we faced the Comescus, he got shot in the shoulder."

"You were knocked out and almost blown up in an overturned vehicle," Deeks reminded him.

"But I wasn't. I came to in time to save G from being shot by Vasile."

"I know, which is why you're still coming. Callen needs you there."

"What do you mean, why I'm still coming?"

"You've got family who depend on you, Sam. Callen's right, we're all at risk due to our association with him. They won't hesitate to kill us, just to destroy Callen further."

"What? And you don't? The last I looked, Deeks, Milly is ten months old. Aiden is almost a man, Kamran is ten years old. Michelle is a strong woman who can deal with the kids if anything happened to me."

"You're kids need you more, Sam. Milly is young enough for it not to affect her yet."

Kensi furrowed her brow, she hated Deeks talking like this. "Marty, you promised…"

"And I will keep my word as far as I can. I will go and have my partner's back, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid to get us killed. Sam and Granger will have our backs."

She saw his determination, he was not going to waver on this one.

"Kensi stays behind to make sure Milly still has a parent. I have to look at this mission from all angles." It took a brave man to accept the possibility of one's mortality, especially in their kind of work. Where they were going was going to be harder —- straight into the lion's den.

"Versey's coming to his car." Kensi brought them back to why they were there.

"Time I had a chat with him."

"I'll go." Sam moved to get out of the vehicle.

"No, best if I do this. He's my friend after all."

"Don't talk too long out in the open, you don't know who's watching," Sam reminded him.

"We'll take him to the boat shed."

"Kensi, you come with me." He focused his eyes on her until she capitulated.

"Okay." She gently squeezed Deeks hand and followed Sam to the Challenger.

"Hey, Versey." Deeks ran up to his old colleague.

"Deeks," he smiled over to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Do you have a free hour?"

Jeff Versey looked at his watch. "I'm due back to headquarters, let me ring through and let them know I'm going to be longer."

"I can't let you do that, Jeff."

Versey narrowed his eyes, Deeks. "What's going on?"

"Not here."

Versey nodded and followed him to his vehicle.

Deeks' visage darkened, he focused on the drive, turning at every point possible to ensure they weren't being followed before he drove to the Boat Shed.

"Now you're scaring me, Deeks, with all those detours to get to here. What is here anyway?" He looked at the square shaped building jutting out over the water.

"Safe house."

"Am I in danger?"

"Maybe." Deeks led Versey into the Boat Shed.

"Coffee?"

"Yeah, thanks."

He busied himself for a moment before joining him at the table. "Why were you at Cedar-Sinai today?"

"Visiting my partner."

"And back on September the second?"

"Are you following me, Deeks?"

He shook his head. "No. We're investigating something, we were going over old security footage in the Medical Centre, you popped up. Kensi and I saw you arrive earlier."

Jeff Versey took a sip of his coffee and sighed. "My partner, Jack Mannan, was shot on August 31. He almost died. He's been in a coma ever since. I go and sit with him for an hour everyday hoping he'll wake up." Guilt washed over Versey, "it should have been me. But Jack moved and got hit."

"I'm sorry. I don't know Jack, is he new?"

"Yeah, he's moved from Florida about five months ago. Nice guy, he didn't deserve this."

"No one does." Deeks pulled out his cell and handed it to him. "Do you recognise this man?"

"Yeah, he's Jack's cousin. He lives in San Diego, he came as soon as he heard about Jack. They were close growing up."

Deeks pondered for a moment. "Have you done a background check on this guy?"

"Michael? No. I believed him when he turned up. No one else in Jack's family is alive to visit, so I just accepted it."

"You sure?"

"Jack told me when we became partners that Michael was all he had left."

Deek nodded, he looked up at the security camera and stared at it for a moment. He hoped Eric and Nell were doing the search as they spoke. "What's Michael's last name?"

"Um…" Versey thought about it for a moment, "Coleman."

"Michael Coleman?"

"Yes." Versey studied Deeks for a moment. "What's going on?"

"Do you remember Callen and his girlfriend at our wedding?"

"The red head? I remember."

"They got married a few months back, expecting their first child. She was gunned down five weeks ago outside their house."

"Oh my goodness, is she okay?" Worry for her and her baby consumed him.

Deeks shook his head. "She died instantly."

Versey looked up at Deeks, fear replaced the worry.

"This Michael Coleman recognised Callen when they entered for their obstetrician appointment on September second. He was exiting the Medical Centre when they arrived, he did a double take of Callen and decided to follow them."

"You think Michael is responsible for Callen's wife's murder?"

"He's our only lead. You were spotted talking to him that day."

"You think I burned Callen for some enemy of his to kill his wife?" Horror spread across his face, "Deeks, you know me better than that."

"I do, which is why we're having this friendly chat alone right now."

Versey took in a deep breath to rein in his emotions. His hand shook on the table, he moved them underneath to calm his nerves.

"Our people are looking into it, but it looks like Jack was deliberately moved into LAPD to be your partner, to get to me and then to Callen. They just didn't expect to meet Callen at the Medical Centre, making their job that much easier."

"I don't understand," Versey furrowed his brow, suddenly he felt very cold and shivered.

"Either Jack was in on this, or he was moved because of his lack of family. Not certain which, but they couldn't get to any of us to find Callen, so they used you. They must know I'm LAPD."

"Who are they?"

"A Romanian crime family, the Comescus."

Versey shook his head, "never heard of them."

"You wouldn't, but the CIA, FBI, NCIS, NSA, Homeland, they all know them well."

"What do they have against Callen?"

"It goes back to just after World War Two. Callen's Grandfather killed some Comescus. So the family killed him, then Callen's mother when he was a kid. He's got no one left but the team. We're his family now. Then he met Joelle, had a piece of normal life for a few years, got married only a month before she was killed. She was ten weeks pregnant."

The news rocked Versey, "I'm so sorry, Callen, he must be…"

"He's on the edge of losing it big time. He wants revenge on anyone responsible. I do too."

Panic reflected in Versey's eyes. "You want to kill me?"

Deeks shook his head. "No. You were used. After I got shot, I had lots of training, learned the craft of making sure I wasn't followed or couldn't be targeted again. I was the weak link in the team, used to get to Kensi. Someone wanted to kidnap her to find someone."

"No one ever said why you were shot, after Callen and Sam visited and cleared me, I never knew…"

"No one was supposed to know. The work I do now is highly classified. The people I work with are ghosts, WE don't exist."

Versey nodded. "I get it. So you think this family found out you were LAPD, they found out how to get to you to find Callen?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, I had no idea."

"Thanks, Jeff. I know, but we need to put you into protective custody. If Michael and the Comescus find out we've found this out, your life could be in danger."

FBI agents appeared in the doorway. Deeks looked over to them. "He's ready to go."

"Just like that, I'm gone?"

"I'll let Bates know, Jeff. You'll have your job and a new partner when it's safe. I can't afford to lose you too."

Jeff looked at him, lost for words. He turned and followed the agents out the door. Not knowing what laid ahead of him.

 **Hetty's house**

Marty Deeks pulled up outside Hetty's place, the one that hadn't been sold to the highest bidder a few years back. It had been the house where Callen lived from age fifteen.

"How is he?" He looked over to Sam and Kensi who chatted in the kitchen, making something to eat. His own stomach growled. "Any for me?"

"I'll make you something. We heard your chat with Versey, you did the right thing to send him away." Kensi looked at him with concern.

"I know, it's just hard when you're a cop and you find you've been taken for a ride like he has, then you have to leave your life behind and make a fresh start with a new identity."

"He'll be back before you know it, kicking your butt at basketball."

"No way. Kip and I will kick his butt at our next game."

She smiled. "That's the way."

"Hetty's making the arrangement for our trip. Callen's been talking to Nate, not sure how that's going."

"Is it okay if I see him?"

"Not yet. Wait until Nate's finished." Sam nibbled on a sandwich he'd made.

Deeks sighed and sat down, he wiped his hand over his face, he was shattered.

"You need to go home and get some rest, both of you," Sam observed them. "It's not easy with a baby at the best of times, but the hours we work, it's tough."

They nodded. "Call us if Nell or Eric find Michael Coleman."

"We will."

 **The Deeks' home**

Deeks and Kensi revelled in the precious time they had with Milly that evening. She was bubbly and brought smiles to their faces, making the worries fade into the distance. They fell asleep as soon as they put Milly to bed.

A horrible noise filtered through the abyss, bringing Deeks and Kensi back to consciousness. His phone vibrated on the bedside table, he grabbed it and looked at the time. Five in the morning. "This better be good,"

"Deeks, you and Kensi need to get in here now. We've found Michael Coleman."

His eyes widened, he pressed Kensi's shoulder to nudge her awake. "Wake up, princess. We're needed in Ops."

She groaned and turned away from him, her head moved under her pillow.

He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Wake up, sunshine."

"Go away, Marty."

"Nope, I'm not going anywhere until you get up. Eric called, they've found Michael Coleman."

Her eyes widened, she sat up too quickly for that time of the morning. "They have?" She looked at the clock. "At five? Do they ever sleep?"

"We need to drop Milly off at your Mom's on the way."

She nodded and dragged herself out of bed to get dressed.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Lone Wolf and the Detective**

 _Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine._

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

Deeks and Kensi entered the sliding doors into Ops. Sam, Granger, Eric and Nell, stood around the large screen waiting for them.

"Where's Hetty?" Deeks looked around for their formidable leader, but she couldn't be found.

"She's remained at home to ensure Callen doesn't get wind of this." Granger looked to Nell. "You can proceed."

"But Callen needs to be kept in the loop, he deserves to know." Deeks pleaded for his partner, he looked to Sam for support.

"Callen will once we've got Michael Coleman in custody."

"Where is he?" He looked to the screen, "is that in Inglewood?"

"Yes, it is." Granger narrowed his eyes, "how did you know?"

Deeks looked back at him, "that's just around the corner from Versey's home. Michael Coleman must have been spying on him."

The sliding doors opened, Nate entered.

"Nate." Deeks was surprised to see their Operations Psychologist in OSP.

"Deeks, Kens."

"It's good to see you again," Deeks shook his hand, while Kensi gave him a hug.

"You too. I wish under happier circumstances." Nate looked up at the screen, "he's still there?"

"Yes. Michael Coleman has had some very interesting visitors during the night."

"You found him last night?" Deeks' voice hitched, "why didn't you call us earlier?"

"You needed your sleep, Deeks." Granger stepped forward and stared him down.

"We have a team of agents watching the property. Your team isn't the only team employed by our agency."

"I am well aware of that, Assistant Director." Deeks drawled the words out.

"Good. Making sure you know who's in charge here."

Nate observed the tension in the room, he raised his brow, curious. He'd expected this from Sam, not Deeks.

Sam stood beside Nell and remained silent. He'd had a tough night overseeing Callen and he was exhausted. They'd battled it out on numerous occasions when Callen decided it was time to leave. He rubbed his forearm where Callen had caused some bruising.

"Asking you to come with us to Romania does not put you in charge of this mission," Deeks squared himself up to front Granger.

"I am above you in every way, Detective."

"Callen was my partner when his wife and child were murdered. It was my friend who was used to get to me and then Callen that caused the Comescus to get to Joelle. They got lucky and found Callen with Joelle at the Medical Centre, back in early September. So, Granger. You want to fight me on this, then you have to get in line, because I have a fight already planned with Callen."

Granger studied the detective, surprise spread across his face over Deeks' resolve to be leader on this mission.

Nate stepped forward. "I think you're taking this mission too personally, Marty. No one is blaming you or making you go to fight Callen's battle."

Deeks spun around and looked up at the tall Operations Psychologist. "Too personal? You know how this works, Nate. Whenever something like this happens to any of us, it is personal, for all of us. Are you telling me Hetty calling you back to talk to Callen wasn't personal? How many psychologists does NCIS have employed?"

"I don't know the number, but there are quite a lot of us around."

"Exactly." Deeks squared his shoulders, ready to fight anyone who got in his way. "Hetty should have called in someone who was already in Los Angeles who was free to see Callen. But instead she called in you, because you are one of us. Family. And family stick together."

Nate smiled. "You will get Callen through this, Marty. Keep this up, someone needs to fight for him."

Deeks stepped back, "you think this is funny?"

Nate shook his head, Kensi stepped forward and held his arm.

"No one is seeing this as amusing, Marty." Kensi tried to soothe him. "Nate is just ensuring that you are the man for the job, to lead the team into Romania and to have Callen's back. Sam has tried, you're the only one who's giving Callen something to fight for."

"You mean, to fight. Yeah, yeah. Leave it to Deeks to make Callen get angry." He looked over to Sam, "he's your brother and best friend. Why aren't you fighting him?"

Guilt washed over Sam's visage. "I've tried, I fought him through the night, every time he tried to leave. I have the bruises to prove it. But he's not listening to me. You make him think, you get a reaction out of him."

"You mean, I make him angry."

"Marty, stop." He looked at Nell, surprised by her outburst.

"You understand Callen's background better than Sam. Sam had a solid upbringing, a family that had structure and love. You and Callen spent time in the system, you understand the shadows that haunt him at night."

"So let's just throw the two foster kids into the ring and fight it out?"

Sam narrowed his eyes, "what are you talking about, Deeks?"

Kensi shook her head at Sam, hoping he'd leave it.

"I feel Callen is slipping away. Can't you see how bad he is? I've been there before. He's lost everything worth living for. I'm trying my best to give him something to live for, even if it means taking a few punches from him. At least he has a purpose."

"You don't need to be his punching bag, Deeks." Anger slipped out of Sam's mouth, surprised that Deeks thought so low of himself. "You're much better than that."

Deeks opened his mouth to reply, but stopped short, speechless. What could he say to that? Sam thought he was better than that. "My old man never thought I was worth anything."

"Callen's not your old man," Sam snapped back, annoyed with him now.

"Don't you think I don't know that? Yesterday when I met him under the pier, I saw a reflection of me, what I used to be like, when my father tore every scrap of worth from me. The Comescus aren't planning on killing Callen, not yet. They want to destroy everyone close to him, it's like…"

He turned and looked at Eric and Nell, "please tell me Janvier is still locked up in South Carolina?"

Nell and Eric's eyes widened, they started typing on their tablets, security footage from Janvier's prison cell came up onto the screen.

"Prison records confirm that no one has been in to visit Janvier since Callen last visited him a few years ago."

"What about the prison guards?"

"Nope. No one is allowed to talk to him. He sees a doctor with four guards present once a month to ensure he's healthy, other than that, he has no contact with anyone."

Deeks nodded, "does the doctor check out?"

"He's one of ours, goes in just to see Janvier. He's clean."

"Thanks." He sighed, for a moment he thought that Janvier had somehow teamed up with the Comescus to destroy Callen. It was his M.O. and that was what scared him for that brief moment.

"You think Janiver has teamed up with the Comescus on this?" Granger furrowed his brow.

"It would have made sense if he had, I mean, he did threaten Callen to kill everyone who meant anything to him."

They all nodded, they remembered how that threat had haunted Callen for so long.

"Well we have it confirmed that he's not." Nell added. "Marty, you need to talk with Callen, get through to him, give him a purpose, but not like this."

"Nothing else is working, Nell. He came to me for help, not Sam or Hetty, but me. I promised him I would do what it takes and I will hold up my end of the deal. Once he finds out we have a lead, it will give him purpose."

"Revenge will not give him the purpose he needs to live, Marty." Nell stood her ground, looking to Kensi and Sam for help.

"Nell's right," Sam added. "What about after you get his revenge, then what?"

Marty Deeks looked long and hard at Nell, she blushed. He dragged her out of Ops and into a side room.

"Are you going to tell me what this is all about?"

"Do you still have feelings for Callen?"

"What kind of question is that? He's m… was married to Joelle, I can't be left hanging out for him to change his mind. He chose her, he's never once looked at me as more than a work colleague."

"You do, don't you?"

"That is none of your business." She crossed her hands over her chest, erecting walls against Deeks' probing.

"Yes it is, if it helps getting Callen back onto the road to recovery. After I lost Jess, Kensi was the perfect distraction. Now look at us."

"Yes, married with a baby." Her eyes widened, she shook he head, "I don't like where you're going with this Deeks. He's just lost his wife and baby," a tear spilled down her cheeks, "I can't do that to him."

"Yes you can, and you will."

She shook her head in defiance. "You've lost all common sense, Marty Deeks."

"Perhaps I have, but I'm the only one with the drive to make Callen get through this."

"After our fight and he's gone into the change rooms, I'll hold off, give you time to tend to his wounds…"

"Marty, you're crazy."

"Maybe I am, but I know what I'm doing." His mind was clear as a winter's day. "You will tell him about your feelings for him, admit them to him, Nell. Stop hiding behind those cardigans of yours. You're a beautiful woman, smart and sassy. You are his type."

She gulped. "Now you're being ridiculous."

"I'll hold Hetty and everyone off, you give Callen a purpose, some hope for the future, something to come home to."

She shook her head. "No, I won't do it."

"If you care for him like I know you do, you will. Else you will feel the guilt in here," he pointed to her heart, "for the rest of your life after he kills himself in Romania." He heaved out a heavy breath and left her stunned. She sat down in the chair, she realised they were in Nate's office. She looked around at the picturesque sceneries hanging up on the walls. She wished she could transport to the forest location right that minute and dissolve into the trees forever. She couldn't do it. There was no way that she could admit her true feelings to Callen. She'd admired him, yes, that is what she would say. That she looked up to him.

Deeks interrupted her thoughts. "Drop the cardigan, Nell. Show some flesh."

She gripped her cardigan closer to her body and shivered, shaking her head. She followed him back into Ops, all eyes were on her as she entered. She ignored them and picked up her tablet to focus on the job at hand. Hetty had trained her for many things, but this? Deeks was mad.

"Coleman hasn't stirred yet," Eric told her. It was now just after six in the morning. He tried to read Nell, but she was a closed book. He frowned.

"What are we waiting for?" Deeks nodded over to the screen, as he asked Granger.

"No one in this team can be seen in the vicinity of this property. The Comescus know all of you and if you are seen, our trip to Romania will fail before we land."

"But we have to take Coleman in for questioning."

"Yes, Mr Deeks," Hetty entered, she looked refreshed like a newly spring flower that had been tended to from seed. "That is why we are waiting for our makeup artists to finish their work on Agent Smith. Smith has a similar height and build to Coleman. With the photos we gave the artists, Agent Smith will become Michael Coleman. Our people will swap Coleman and Smith over, not to stir the Romanian pot before we get there."

"Hetty, you're not coming too?"

"Indeed I am, Mr Deeks. Don't you think for one moment that I will allow the four of you to go in without BACKUP." Her words echoed through the building.

Deeks was sure the old building would soon become condemned with all her rumblings.

She turned to Kensi. "I will need a partner, but I am with Mr Deeks on this, Mrs Deeks. Milly needs you to stay behind."

Kensi opened her mouth to protest, she knew she had lost the battle with Deeks, but she'd hoped Hetty would understand her need to go and be there for Callen.

"I'm sure Mr Callen understands why you will not be going." She turned to Nell. "Miss Jones, I hope you're packed, you're coming to Romania once we have the intel from Mr Coleman."

Nell nodded, excitement bubbled under the surface, she was glad Hetty had seen her point when she told her that they should be going too.

Kensi looked over to her with envy, all because she was now a mother, her right to go with her team had been taken away from her.

 _ **Boat Shed**_

Coleman sat in the interrogation room, ranting and raving over the injustice of being taken into custody. "I'm innocent. I need to see my cousin, I'm all he has. He's in a coma, damn it."

Deeks looked over to Sam. "You happy to wait until I get Callen here?"

"We can make Coleman simmer for a while."

"Thanks." Deeks left the Boat Shed and headed over to Hetty's to confront Callen. It had almost been over fifteen hours since he'd seen his former partner, it was time to play tough guy with him. He needed to clean himself up before he would allow him to watch them interrogate Coleman.

He parked the car out front and rang the doorbell.

Hetty appeared and smiled up at him. "Mr Deeks, please come in."

He followed her and looked up the stairs.

"Would you like a cup of tea first?"

"Actually, Hetty, I'd like to get this over first, then have tea, if you don't mind?"

"Of course, Mr Deeks. Whatever you think is best." She watched him hesitate at the first step, he turned and looked her way before climbing to the second floor.

Deeks knocked on the door, after no response, he turned the old brass handle and pushed the carved wooden door inwards.

Callen stood staring out the window, his hands fisted at his side.

"How are you today, Callen?" He noticed the tension under his shirt, all of Callen's muscles flexed, ready for a fight.

He pulled some items out of the bag he carried and laid them on the bed. "I've got you some shaving gear…"

"I don't need you to pamper me, Deeks."

Score one in his favour, Callen had spoken to him. "I know people are known to look a lot like their pets, but I'm not your pet and you are looking too much like me these days. I think there's only room for one of us to be styled by pillow, don't you agree?"

Callen turned, his eyes pierced him like solid steel. Deeks shuddered. Callen, when he wanted, could kill just with that look. Being his partner was not for the faint hearted.

"If you want to get out of here, you will shave those beautiful locks of yours off."

Callen moved so fast from the other side of the room, like a bulldog on a mission. He pushed him hard against the door, winding him. He pushed his arm up against Deeks' throat, causing pain to shoot through his body.

"Why are you here?"

Deeks coughed and splattered, he pried Callen's arm from his throat. "Man, you've got to get control of that anger of yours.

Callen pushed him back again, his hands placed firmly on his shoulders, pinning Deeks down.

"Is that a way to show me how much you care?"

"Don't push me, Deeks," Callen growled.

"I'm here because I care, okay?"

Callen looked at him sceptically.

"I love you," Deeks blurted, Callen stepped back as if he'd been burned.

"I'm not like that…"

"I don't mean it in that way, Callen. Geez, I'm…" he was about to say married, then stopped. So had Callen until five weeks ago.

"I mean like a brother. You need to get it into that thick skull of yours that you matter to all of us." Deeks took the opportunity to move away from the door while Callen had stepped away from him.

"I've done what you asked. I've found something. A lead in your case."

Callen's steely blue eyes glared at him. Deeks held his ground.

"What did you find?"

"Security footage from September the second, when you and Joelle entered Cedar-Sinai Medical Centre."

Callen looked like he was going to push him against the door again for mentioning Joelle's name. Instead of retreating, Deeks stepped forward and placed his hand on Callen's shoulder. Callen flinched, but Deeks didn't remove his hand.

"You were happy. You and Joelle entered the Medical Centre holding hands and you were both happy."

Deeks words hit him hard in the chest, his chest tightened and he struggled to breathe.

"A man was leaving the Medical Centre as you arrived. He took a second look at you and hesitated. He turned around and followed you and Joelle to your appointment."

Guilt washed over Callen. He looked up to Deeks, "I killed them."

Deeks gripped his shoulders. "No, you didn't. You were happy. You thought your were safe. You thought it was safe to let your guard down for a moment, while you and Joelle celebrated…"

"STOP!" Anger surged through him, the pain was too great. He pushed Deeks back. "You will not talk about it again." He referred to Joelle and their baby, his eyes welled up, he bit into the side of his cheek, trying with every bit of strength to hold his emotions together. A battle he was constantly losing since Deeks had taken him in to the Boat Shed.

"We found the man who followed you. He was visiting someone who's in a coma. The Comescus paid this man to find you, it was his lucky day when you showed up. We've got him in custody at the Boat Shed."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"You need to clean up and shave. If you want to get out of here, it's by my rules."

Callen growled, he fisted his hands by his sides, contemplating taking Deeks down right then.

"I'll be downstairs with Hetty drinking tea." He left a dumbfounded Callen, he couldn't quite make out his approach on the matter.

Deeks descended the stairs and heaved a sigh. "I'll need that tea now thanks Hetty."

She gave him a small smile, she'd heard the door being pushed against and the anger from Callen, yet her detective appeared to have survived. She studied him further as he sat down and rubbed his jugular.

"He wedge his arm over your throat?"

Deeks nodded.

"I'll get you some ointment for that. You drink this. It's chrysanthemum."

"Thanks, Hetty."

It took Callen thirty minutes, when he appeared, Deeks only had to look at Hetty's expression to know that Callen had cleaned up nicely. He turned in his chair and smiled. "That's better. There's some tea to spare if you're thirsty?"

Callen nodded. Hetty smiled over to Deeks, impressed with the progress he was making with her boy.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Lone Wolf and the Detective**

 _Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine._

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

Callen entered the Boat Shed, Deeks watched his every move. He saw the image of the suspect in the interrogation room, he wanted in.

"You can sit here and only here," Deeks warned him, he gave him a look to ensure he understood it.

Callen shifted his eyes to meet his and nodded.

"Good." Deeks turned to Sam, "party time."

Sam gave Callen a sideway glance as he followed Deeks into the room. He worried what this interrogation would do to Callen. He sat in the corner, giving Deeks front seat to the action.

"You! What are you doing here?" Coleman looked at him. "You're LAPD, why are you in this dump?"

"Oh you've seen nothing yet, this ain't no dump. You should see our other locations, they're riddled with cockroaches and rats, that will eat you alive. This is grand in comparison.

"I've done nothing wrong. I've been falsely arrested."

"Who's this man?"

Coleman looked at the image of Callen and shrugged, "dunno."

"Dunno? Is that the best you can give us?" Deeks slammed his hand down on the table, making Coleman jump.

"We have video proof that as you were leaving Cedar-Sinai Medical Centre on September the second, that you gave him a double take and decided to follow him and his wife back into the building." Deeks heaved out a sigh. "Now tell me, who is he?"

Coleman fidgeted. "I was asked to find out where he lived."

"By who?"

"Someone I owed money to."

"We want a name."

Coleman looked up at them, "I swear I've done nothing wrong, I had to find out where he lived, or…"

"Or what?" Deeks lost his temper, he yelled at their suspect.

"They'd skin me alive and sell my organs on the black market."

Deeks looked over to Sam, it sounded like the Comescus. "Name."

"Andrei Comescu."

Deeks looked up at the camera, he knew that Callen must be seething in the main room.

"Did he visit you personally?"

"Yes, he came to Los Angeles, said the man had killed his cousins."

Deeks hauled the man from off the metal chair and threw him against the wall, "Andrei Comescu killed his pregnant wife, how does that make you feel now?"

Fear entered Coleman's eyes, "I didn't know…"

"You lie. You followed them to her Obstetrician appointment, you told Andrei that his wife was pregnant, didn't you?"

The man shook. "Okay, yes, I did."

Deeks squeezed his throat. "I should kill you with my bare hands."

Sam stepped in and pulled Deeks off him. "He's not worth it."

Marty Deeks pulled back. "No he's not. But you will pay for what you've done."

"Why? What's this man got to do with you?"

The door opened, Callen stood in the doorway. He looked at Deeks with desperation. "Leave me alone with him."

"G, no. We can't let you in here." Sam stepped forward to prevent Callen from going any closer to Coleman. "He's just a snitch, he's not worth destroying your life and your career over."

"My life is already destroyed and that bastard is at fault."

"What?" Coleman tried to free his hands from the cuffs, he stood up and moved to the other side of the room. He looked to Sam and Deeks to protect him. "Why is he here?"

"He's my partner, you aided a well known Romanian crime family to help kill the family a Federal Agent."

Coleman shook his head. "I swear, I didn't know that they would kill his wife, I thought they'd kill him, not his wife."

Deeks turned, anger simmered. "Shut up."

Coleman crouched into the corner, afraid for his life.

"Callen, Sam's right. He's a nobody. Someone who can easily get lost in the system, I'll tell them he's to blame for Mannan's shooting, he'll go away for a long time."

"Jack? He's my cousin, I didn't shoot him, why would I do that?"

Deeks furrowed his brow. "You telling me that Jack is really your cousin?"

Coleman nodded.

"And he's really a cop?"

Coleman shook his head. "He…he took the identity of a cop, we had to get in with this LAPD Detective, Andrei said he was the only link to find you, and then you would lead them to him." Coleman pointed to Callen. "But when I saw him at the hospital, I couldn't believe my luck."

"LUCK?" Callen roared, he pushed past Sam and Deeks and bull dozed his way over to where Coleman the coward sat. Callen hauled him up and slammed his hand over his throat. "Deeks may not have the guts to kill you, but I do."

Sam and Deeks pulled Callen off, he wrestled them, but they couldn't allow it. Coleman was a nobody. They needed to get Andrei Comescu and fast.

"Where is he?" Deeks continued questioning him. "Where is Andrei Comescu?"

"He contacts me on my cell."

Deeks ran into the main room and picked up his cell and returned. "Which number?"

"This one, he called me again last night, he said that he wanted me to find a brunette with the marked eyes."

Deeks stepped back, he looked to Callen and Sam, his heart lurched inside his chest.

"This woman?" Sam picked up Coleman's cell and found the photo.

"Yes. Said she also killed his family."

"Who else?"

Coleman tried to stop his body from shaking, he'd never been so scared in his life.

"All of you and an old woman, short, really short."

Their eyes met each other. "Where is Andrei now?"

"He said he's back in Romania, waiting for things to cool down in L.A. before he returned. He wanted answers before he flew back out."

"When are you to contact him again?" Sam's anger surged through him, they were all at risk. Time was of the essence.

"He gave me a week to find you all."

Callen looked at Deeks, he saw the fear in his eyes. He turned to Coleman and punched him hard in the face. Blood poured out of his nose as he crumbled to the floor.

"Get him out of my sight." Callen walked outside, he breathed in the salt air, it should have soothed him, but now it had no effect.

"G!"

"No, Sam. I've put the whole team in danger, I've got to do this on my own."

"No you won't. We're coming with you, Callen." Deeks stepped up beside the two men. "And that's an order."

Callen eyed him. "Who made you boss?"

"Of this operation? Me. Your family died on my watch, we will take the Comescus down together."

Callen furrowed his brow. "No."

"Fight me for it. If I win, I lead, if you win, you can choose who leads. But remember, Hetty or Granger won't allow you to lead, this is too personal to you."

"No, Deeks, you're not getting it into your thick skull, I'm going on my own."

"Then we'll have to fight to decide, because that's the only way you have any chance of doing it your way."

Callen heaved out a heavy breath, he clenched his jaw. "What are we doing here then?"

Deeks nodded, he'd been prepared for this.

Sam shook his head. "I've told you, Deeks. This is not the way to do it."

"This is the only way, Sam."

 _ **OSP — the gym**_

Nell had the first aid kit ready, she'd checked all its contents and marked them off on her mental checklist, that everything she'd need to repair the damage the two men were about to do to each other.

She looked over to Sam. "Surely there's something you can do to stop them from behaving like baboons."

"Technically, Nell, baboons pick each other's butts, this is more planet of the apes style." Deeks called over to her, letting her know he'd heard her comment to Sam. He hung his arms out like an ape and mimicked the creature.

Kensi entered the gym and shook her head at her husband.

"Can't you stop him, Kens?"

She moved next to Nell, her eyes dropped to the first aid box with worry. "I've tried, he won't listen. They're just as stubborn as each other."

"Tell me about it. Both trying to be the alpha male, this is not the way to settle it," Sam grumbled. He'd tried to talk Callen out of it on the drive over to OSP, but he was being his usual stubborn self. Joelle had softened him. He was settled and his future looked bright. No wonder Callen was like he was, no matter how hard Hetty tried to help him be a team player and part of a family.

"Come on, Callen, hit me," Deeks taunted him.

"Whack!" Deeks had barely finished talking when Callen punched him in the head. Thankfully, Hetty had ensured that they did this properly, they were in their portable ring with boxing gloves and padded head gear.

Deeks tumbled back to the edge of the ring. "Now's that's more like it, Callen."

Callen lunged forward, Deeks moved light on his feet and moved to the side, Callen missing him completely.

Deeks' grin broadened, the others looked at him like he was insane. An angry Callen was a dangerous Callen. Everyone knew that. But a Callen without hope, where he had nothing to lose was suicidal. Good thinking Hetty was one step ahead of the testosterone ravaged bodies fighting out a battle of who was boss. The truth being known to all that neither man was actually the boss, they were under control of Hetty and Granger. So their fight was just a vain attempt for Deeks to get Callen to have a purpose. They hoped his intentions worked.

Deeks went for the attack this time, he fisted his hand and punched Callen along his jaw, sending him backwards to the rope.

Callen saw stars, how had the Detective become so powerful? He thought back to the first time he watched Sam and Deeks fight it out at the MMA gym. Sam had won, he knew his old partner had held back, but Deeks had improved his skills.

Hetty stood stoic watching the two male lions fight it out. She sighed heavily and shook her head. She couldn't stand there and watch them punch each other to a pulp, gloves and padded head gear or not, they're still doing some form of damage to each other.

Deeks punched Callen in the stomach, he winded him, and went for another.

Callen curled over in pain, he fell to his knees to protect himself. This was a bad idea. He became angry at himself, he tried to get up, but stumbled. He was out of shape. He grabbed hold of the rope and pulled himself up, Deeks shuffled on his feet from side to side. With his jaw clenched, Callen ran forward and head butted Deeks in the stomach, pushing him backwards onto the rope. He punched him hard again, Deeks recoiled. With all his strength waining, Callen fell to the floor. Sweat beaded across his brow, his body sweated like a pig.

Deeks knelt down, worry for his partner washed over him. "Callen, are you okay?"

He glared up at him, Deeks could see he was still angry, but he no longer had the strength to fight him.

"Looks like I'm boss." Deeks held his hand out to help him up, Callen refused and used the rope. Callen dragged himself out of the ring and headed straight for the showers.

Deeks looked at Nell, she only stared back as if he was crazy. Well he was, in her mind, Deeks was crazy to fight Callen while he was in this mood. Rage never sat well with anyone, it was a dangerous combination with Callen and his grief.

Deeks slid to the floor, using the gym wall to support him, as he unravelled the tape from his hands.

"Are you okay?" Kensi knelt beside him and assessed him.

"Ouch!" She tenderly pressed on a sore point. "He's dangerous even when he's not taken care of himself for five weeks."

"That's been his life, Deeks." Sam went to see to Callen, but Deeks held him back.

"Let Nell go."

Sam gave him a quizzical expression, "I can patch him up fine, Deeks."

Nell quickly picked up the first aid box and hurried to the men's showers, Sam watched her with disbelief.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Deeks looked from Kensi to Sam, both who waited for an explanation. "Callen needs a woman's touch. He needs a strong woman to deal with him right now."

"And you know that how?" Sam was not satisfied with the explanation Deeks gave.

Deeks looked at his wife for a moment before turning his attention back to Sam. "After I lost Jess, it was tough. I understand what Callen's going through."

Sam furrowed his brow, he remembered the case, they helped Deeks to catch Detective Frank Scali out, who had burned Jess to Lazik, resulting in her death.

He nodded his head, "I remember." Guilt washed over Sam, he'd not treated the detective well after he joined, treated him like a temp, when he had gone through tragedy. Only now, seeing Callen go through the loss, did he really grasp what Deeks had dealt with on his own.

"So how did you get through it?" Sam raised his brow in question, it was something he almost had to deal with, with Michelle, but thanks to Deeks, she was safe. His gut clenched tight, he had so much to be thankful for to the detective, he kept them safe and lightened the mood after a tough day.

"I had a distraction, a rather beautiful distraction." He gave Kensi a look and took her hand in his and gently kissed it.

Kensi had been the distraction.

Sam shook his head, "you two really do need a weekend away when you're not on the clock."

 _ **Men's showers**_

Nell listened out for the sound of the shower to turn off. She heard movement on the other side of the door and hesitated. She heard him grumble, it was now or never. She tightened the grip around the first aid box and entered. Thankfully, Callen sat on the bench with a white towel wrapped around his waist. She cleared her throat, her breath hitched when their eyes met.

"Nell, you shouldn't be in here, you know the rules."

"Deeks said you needed tending to." She moved forward and assessed his injuries. She kept her focus on his cuts and bruises. "Any fractures?"

Callen shook his head, "no."

His blue eyes watched her every move. She'd patched him up after their near escape from the submarine two years earlier, so he was used to her being this close to him. He flinched as she taped up his cuts on his forehead. Her hands were gentle, but firm enough to do the job.

"Sorry."

He grabbed her hand, her eyes met his. "Don't be sorry, Nell." His voice softened around her.

"I hurt you."

"I'll live." His voice broke. "I'm sorry, can you leave?"

"Of course," she busied herself to collect all the wrappings from the tape and bandages.

"Nell?"

She stopped in her tracks.

"I…" he chewed on the inside of his cheek, trying to muster the words he wanted to say.

Fractures chipped away from her heart, seeing him like this was difficult for the younger woman.

She stepped forward. "We're all here for you, Callen. Your family are here to help you through this." She grabbed his hand and gently squeezed it. "I'm here for you. Whatever you need, I'm here."

Her eyes misted over, she bit on her bottom lip, his hand lifted and wiped a stray tear away. "Don't cry, Nell."

"I can't help it, seeing you like this, it breaks my heart…"

He didn't know why, but he pulled her in and wrapped his arms around her petite form. Holding her just made sense.

She stroked the back of his head as he sat there and held onto her. She didn't know what to do. She'd never seen Callen like this before, a broken man.

"We'll fight beside you, Callen. We'll get your revenge."

He looked up at her, puzzled. "You're not coming, Nell."

"I am. Hetty too."

He moved his hands to her arms and gripped them harder than he should have. "No. It's too dangerous. I can't risk losing you too." He choked on a sob, he couldn't have her see him like this. "Go."

Nell pulled away, she wiped her own tears away and carried the first aid box out. She rested her body against the wall of the corridor and closed her eyes, allowing her tears to freely fall.

"Miss Jones?" Hetty looked at her and then to the door she'd just exited.

"I just needed to patch Callen up, Hetty."

Hetty pursed her lips together as she thought for a moment. "Mr Hanna would have been more than capable," she squeezed Nell's arm. "I understand that you needed to do something for him. We all do."

Nell watched Hetty walk away, speechless. Her breathing remained shallow, what had she just done? And why hadn't Hetty scolded her for entering the men's showers?

"Nell?" Deeks came up beside her, worry etched in his brow. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I've patched him up. You did a good job on his bottom lip."

Deeks studied her, "and?"

"And nothing, Deeks." She dropped the first aid box and ran for the stairs, she needed to get to a private space and catch her breath. Her heart still pounded heavily inside her chest.

"What's going on?" Sam looked between the detective and to where Nell had gone.

"I'm not sure." Deeks looked at the door to the shower, he needed to enter, but he didn't know what met him on the other side. He took in a deep breath and pushed it in. Callen sat on the floor, his back resting on the lockers. He was now fully clothed, but Nell's behaviour was still a puzzle to him.

"Callen, are you okay?"

The former agent turned his head, his eyes welled with tears.

Deeks hitched in his breath and took a step forward. The rage had exhausted him, his grief now had the space to run free.

"You shouldn't have sent her in here…I can't have her see me like this."

"How did…" Deeks sat down beside him. "She cares a great deal for you. We all do."

Callen wiped his hand over his face, it was unusually smooth after his earlier shave. "Why did you send her in?"

"You needed a woman's touch. Sure you could have had Sam patch you up, but it's not the same. You've lost your wife, she softened you. She made you happy. You need that again."

"How…how do you know that?"

Deeks closed his eyes for a moment, memories of Jess returned to the forefront of his mind. "Jess. After I lost her, the pain was too much. Then I was partnered up with Kensi, she was the perfect distraction. She healed me."

Callen squeezed his shoulder. "We treated you like crap when we should have been there for you." His heart squeezed tight inside his chest. "We should have been there for you. I don't understand why are you here for me now? I don't deserve this?"

"If I treat everyone how they've treated me in the past, how am I any better?"

Callen shook his head, he wiped the tears from his face. "Kensi is one lucky woman. You're better than us."

"You've been through hell, Callen. I get it. And now I see you fall through the cracks, I can't let you do this to yourself. Like the Deeks pulled me out, you need us to do the same."

He nodded, he couldn't believe he was having a heart to heart with Deeks of all people. How had the detective slipped through his walls like this? He fought for him when he had nothing left to fight for. His body shuddered, his emotions overwhelmed him.

"We're family, family stick together."

"I know."

Deeks raised his brow. "You do?"

"Sam and Hetty, they made sure I saw how much they and everyone here cared. I know Hetty's intentions by now. She created a family for me."

"She created a family for all of us, Callen."

Callen's eyes searched his. "Yes, she has." He swallowed the hard lump in his throat. "You've always been better to show how much you care. After all you had to deal with, your old man and all, how do you do it?"

Deeks took in a ragged breath, he shook his head. "I don't know. I used to be like you. Nothing left but a shell. I suppose I have the Deeks to thank. They adopted me when I was thirteen, it was a risk with my background. They showed me how a family is supposed to be, the importance to care for others. They gave me a purpose."

Callen buried his face in his hands, his body shook, he took a moment to get it out of his system. He took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Hetty saved me. I was fifteen and full of rage."

"She cares for you like a son."

Callen nodded. "She can't come to Romania, I can't have her and Nell killed."

"Have you tried to stop Hetty from anything?"

Callen shook his head. "No. But she'll listen to you."

"Aah, I don't think so, Callen. You've always been her favourite."

"You're better with words, you're a lawyer after all."

A chuckle escaped his lips. "Like that's gotten me anywhere. I lost my bike remember?"

"You were reckless, it's her way of showing how much she cares."

"I know that now, but when are you going to see that, Callen?"

Callen heaved out a sigh, he looked up at the ceiling, he was never good at emotions. Nate was always at him about it. But it's never helped him in the past.

"It hurts too much." He hit his chest with his fist.

"That means you've got something worth living for."

"Is that why you sent Nell in? To give me something to live for?" He studied him, Deeks had grown up into an incredible man, husband and father.

"Yes." He held his gaze.

"I can't, anyone I let in is in danger."

"Nell can hold her own. Have you seen her fight Kensi?"

Callen furrowed his brow and shook his head. "No."

"You want to protect her, yet you let Kensi fight beside us. I want to protect Kensi just like you want to protect Nell."

"Nell's not like Kensi, she's not prepared for any of this, we need to protect our women." Callen heaved out a heavy breath, after losing Joelle, he needed to make sure they didn't lose any more of the women in their family. "I can't even begin to think about another woman, Deeks. I know you mean well, but I'm not like you."

Deeks nodded, he understood. It took him a long time to let Kensi in.

Callen looked hard into his eyes. "No women. Just us men."

"Agreed, but how are we going to tell them?"

"We'll go tonight, when they're asleep, we'll leave. They'll have no choice."

"They'll be peeved."

"I'll rather have them peeved than dead any day." Callen's words hung in the air, it was something they both agreed on.

"I'll tell Sam and Granger on the quiet. Just let me shower and I'll leave you alone."

"Deeks," Callen held onto his arm. "Thank you. For being my partner and brother, when I couldn't be one to you."

"That's what family is for." Deeks rose and headed for the shower, sweat clung to his skin like an unwanted leech.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Lone Wolf and the Detective**

 _Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine._

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

Marty Deeks felt a little sore after his fight with Callen, but he felt lighter inside, knowing he was getting through to his former partner and team leader. Finally! G. Callen had always been a hard man to get close to. He was much of a mystery as Henrietta Lange. The two were close and he knew Sam had managed to break down his barriers, but Deeks had a tough job ahead of him. After he and Kensi's wedding, things changed. Hetty had no choice but to split them up. He saw the annoyance in Callen's eyes over him and Sam being split up as a result, although he said nothing. Silence had been more painful than confrontation. He'd tried the best he could to make Callen snap in anyway possible. But he failed. And it frustrated him to no end. They had to spar and he had to learn to know Callen's intent, something Sam had mastered. Deeks wasn't stupid, he was a lawyer for goodness sake. But Callen erected the walls around himself higher than before. He was well aware of his relationship with Joelle Taylor, especially after Callen's admission to Sam that he could see them having kids. It was admissions like this that gave insight into the real G. Callen. Finally, he had a taste of normal.

Deeks wanted to prove his worth to Sam which he did by risking his own life to save his life and Michelle's. And he'd done that at the cost of torture. Even after he'd been rescued and admitted into hospital, he dragged himself out of self pity to make his way to the hotel roof top and killed the Russian arms dealer, Sidorov. Sam had a respect for him after that, but Callen, he felt there was a pang of jealousy from the team leader over the change in Sam towards him. What was that about? They were a team, family, like Hetty proclaimed. But, Callen made jokes about his torture, shoving shards of broken glass into his heart. Then to add to the pain, he told him he didn't want him there. Callen might as well held his gun to his temple and fired the weapon. Deeks pushed the pain aside and continued his facade to be the class joker. It had gotten him through the toughest years of his life. But once he became Callen's partner, even that didn't ease the pain and rejection. He'd put in all the effort into their partnership, Callen only did what was needed to please their bosses.

Kensi soothed his worries at the end of the day, and he revelled in the time they had together. Sam gave him advice on ways to break down Callen's walls, but nothing he suggested worked. He was about to ask Hetty to think about a new LAPD liaison, when Joelle was gunned down outside their home. The news hit him like a force he'd yet encountered. Like the atomic bomb dropping on Hiroshima. All breath had escaped his lungs, his skin peeled away from his bones and sinews. He'd failed Callen. Guilt washed over him and no matter what anyone said, he took it personally. He watched on helplessly as Callen pushed everyone away from him. Sam and Hetty looked on with desperation, he needed to do something.

Five weeks had passed, he knew that Nell and Eric were doing their damnedest to find a lead, to find justice for Callen and Joelle. But Callen had gone lone wolf. Typical Callen style, he ran from his problems instead of facing them head on, something Deeks struggled with. He'd had things tough in his earlier years too. His old man had made sure of that. Broken down every ounce of worth inside of him to make him feel like scum of the earth: a cockroach or maggot. Until Ray came to his rescue and gave him his father's gun. Finally after years of abuse, he stood up to John Brandel and shot him. Deeks was worth something, Ray gave him a gift of hope. Then the Deeks adopted him and built on that self worth, making him into the man he was today.

Deeks knew a little of Callen's past, it was hard not to, with the haunts chasing him from every corner. The Comescus' determination to end the Callen bloodline for starters. Then the news that his father was a Russian KBG officer aiding people to escape from Russia. They'd found photos and Callen's walls had fallen for but a moment. He told them about a foster father who'd abused him with a broom, until Callen snapped and gave him a piece of his own medicine. Deeks had seen the similarities between them and he hoped that he could be the one to heal the broken man inside. But Callen refused to see Deeks as anything worth the time. Then out of the blue, Callen called him and asked to meet him under the Santa Monica pier. Hope returned for the detective, Callen had come to him for help. Not Hetty, nor Sam. Him. It's what gave him his courage to fight for Callen, when he saw how broken he was. A smile edged his lips, they curved upwards and reached his eyes. Finally after a year being Callen's partner, he'd achieved his goals. Callen dropped his barriers and let him in. His heart soared, he mattered and he could see how everyone else realised that it was only he who now could help Callen.

Family was precious to Deeks, even the mixed matched one created by Hetty with the team. Granger as the father, Hetty, their mother, Sam and Callen as the big brothers, Nell and Eric the younger wonder twins. And Kensi, his sunshine. He had Hetty to thank for his gorgeous wife, who saw his worth early on. Now he was accepted fully by his family, and it powered the strength he now displayed to lead them on one of their most dangerous operations, to destroy what was left of the Comescus.

"Mr Deeks."

He looked over to their tiny Operations Manager, who looked at him with a determination that made him quiver. He took in a deep breath and followed her formidable voice to her office. He sat down in the cane chair and sighed. He looked over to her, she had that look in her eyes like she knew something, but he couldn't pinpoint what.

"How is Mr Callen?"

"He's dealing with the emotions as best as he can. He's coming to the acceptance that we're here to help him and that he doesn't need to go lone wolf on this one."

She nodded, "good. Now I hope the two of you haven't been conspiring to go Laurel and Hardy on this one."

Deeks eyes widened slightly, Hetty pursed her lips, she knew they had been talking about something in the men's showers. She hoped Deeks would continue to lead Callen in the best way, for the team to fight together. But she knew both men well, probably better than they knew themselves, and if her gut instincts were on queue, they were up to something.

"Us?" He raised his brow in surprise, he was good at hiding his true feelings, but Hetty was the master puppeteer, she will find out the truth.

"No, Mr Deeks, now why would I even contemplate that you and Mr Callen to get up to tricks?" Her eyes bore into his, butterflies fluttered in his stomach.

 _Oh she was good._ He gave her a nervous laugh, "right, just checking."

Hetty narrowed her eyes and peered over her dark rimmed glasses, Deeks shifted uncomfortably in the chair. "What's the plan, Mr Deeks?"

Deeks took in a deep breath to calm his nerves. "Callen has accepted that I lead the team into Romania. I've yet had time to discuss the details with Granger and Sam."

"I'm listening, Mr Deeks." She was not going to back down, Deeks gripped his knees with nerves.

"We need a way into the country undetected. Last time the Comescus knew we were coming, they had photos of us from Prague airport."

"I can assist with that, Mr Deeks."

"You can?" He waited, suddenly he doubted the men could pull this off without the women.

A curve appeared on Hetty's lips, "let me guess," she folded her hands on the desk, her eyes never departing from Deeks'. "Mr Callen found out about Miss Jones and me coming on the mission and he's told you he doesn't want the women to come."

"How did…" Deeks stuttered, she could make any man crumble.

"Look, Mr Deeks. It's understandable for Callen and yourself to feel the need to protect the women of the team after the tragic death of Ms Taylor. But you cannot even get into the country undetected without Miss Jones and my help. We're coming and that is that. Now when did you and Mr Callen decide on leaving?"

"Tonight." Deeks looked defeated, he'd tried to do it Callen's way, prove that he was a leader.

"Very well. Go as planned. I have a jet arranged to take you, Mr Callen, Mr Hannah and Owen to Varna in Bucharest. A vehicle will be waiting for you to drive to the border and wait for your next direction."

"Hetty?" He furrowed his brow, Nell and Hetty had everything planned down to the finest detail before he'd settled with Callen.

"Mr Callen doesn't need to know about Miss Jones and my involvement in this operation, but you, Owen and Mr Hanna will be filled in on how to reach us. We are the backup, Mr Deeks. We are there to have your backs. But it's imperative that Mr Callen doesn't know that you know we are there."

"Callen doesn't like deceit, Hetty."

"And you are telling me this why?"

He nodded, of course Hetty was well aware about this fact with Callen.

"Sorry, Hetty. Of course you already know this."

"Mr Callen needs you to lead, to stand beside him and make sure he doesn't go lone wolf. That doesn't mean he has to drag you into the danger without the rest of the team being there for backup."

Deeks nodded. "So we're to make sure Callen doesn't know that you and Nell will be there."

"Precisely. Go and have your little chat with Owen and Mr Hanna, as per your conversation with Mr Callen. Miss Jones will be in contact with you once you arrive at your safe house along the border into Romania, as if she's here in Ops."

"Okay." He had to admit he was thankful that the team were together on this one, he'd yet organised a plan himself. Hetty and Nell were three steps in front. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Mr Deeks." Hetty smiled warmly at her detective. He had a kind heart, one she knew would choose to do what was right.

He left quickly before Callen got wind of the conspiracy against him.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Lone Wolf and the Detective**

 _Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine._

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

Deeks pushed his farewell with Kensi and Milly to the back of his mind and focused on the details of their operation. He looked over to his partner, Callen was sitting back with his eyes closed. Deeks thought about all the times they'd flown somewhere and he realised that Callen always appeared to be asleep. But was he? Was it his way of shutting off any form of communication in a confined space? Was he formulating a plan of his own? Or was he really sleeping? The man had a reputation for sleeping in short bursts, and Deeks would normally doubt that this is what Callen was doing. However, Callen did need the sleep. He showed signs of sheer exhaustion and from the sounds of Sam's complaints, he'd hardly slept the night before either.

Deeks thought back to another black op, when he, Sam and Callen flew to Afghanistan to meet up with Granger, to save Kensi. Images of a supposed dead Kensi skittered across his synapses, making him shudder. It had pushed him over the edge and led him to torture an old blind man. He'd never spoken about his own vulnerability to anyone from this time, not even to Nate or Kensi. How could he tell her he almost killed an unarmed man because he thought she was dead? War changed a man, his companion warned him. How true to his words did he become? He shook his head, he couldn't afford to dwell on what almost became. He came up with a plan and saved the team and Kensi from death. He nodded. _Yes, I did,_ he reminded himself. How had he forgotten that? If he hadn't come up with the plan to trade the father of one of the Taliban terrorists, they all would have been lost. His eyes widened, he pulled out his laptop and began typing an email to Nell. He needed her help to find the Comescu's vulnerability, something to trade, just in case. He shut it down once he was finished and decided to rest himself. Once they arrived, he was certain that Callen would be eager to hit the ground running. He looked over at his partner once more. He worried about him. Callen was barely stitched together. He was a man who was a mastermind in hiding his true feelings, but now, Callen bared all, his vulnerability of grief from the loss of his wife and unborn child.

Deeks stomach knotted tightly, he prayed Kensi and Milly remained safe while he was away. After Michael Coleman's admission over Andrei Comescu's next target, he remained alert. Thankfully, Michelle suggested that Kensi and Milly move in with her and Kamran while they were away. He sighed. Things had progressed a long way since his arrival at OSP. Back in the day when he knew nothing of Sam even having a family. Now Sam saw him and Kensi as part of the family. Family stuck together, through the good, bad and the ugly. Now was the ugly. This operation could get very messy.

The small jet dipped and Deeks' stomach lurched. His eyes widened with fear for a moment, but when he caught Callen's gaze, he knew they were safe.

"We're approaching Varna."

Deeks nodded, "thanks." He looked outside the window, he could see the coastline of the Black Sea below. Memories of their last trip to Constanta returned to the forefront of his mind. He smiled over the banter he'd had with Kensi. He'd tried to say that they were boyfriend and girlfriend, she said, brother and sister. There was no way they could pass as siblings, there was so much chemistry between them. The former was the safest bet. But their last visit was cut short, the Comescus knew that they were coming and spotted him eating this third gelato on the beach. It had been a good thing in the end, Hetty had been shot and she needed immediate medical attention.

He gave Callen a sideway glance, this was why Callen didn't want Hetty here. He wanted to protect her. She was the closest he had to a mother, there was no surprises there. He prayed Hetty and Nell remained at their secret location and other than asking them for details, their whereabouts were kept hidden from Callen. The last thing they needed was for Callen to have a trust issue episode and go lone wolf. He might think he's strong, but he's stronger with the team. Didn't their time in the Kill House teach them this necessary fact?

"What's the plan when we land?" Callen leaned over for the details.

"We have a vehicle waiting for us, Granger used a contact." He kept it simple, alluding the little white lie. "We take it to the border and wait a few hours."

"We don't have time to wait, Deeks," Callen stressed. He needed to get going and fast.

"Not long, just to ensure we can cross the border undetected. We wait for nightfall." His reasoning appeared to make sense to Callen, he nodded and sat back in his chair.

Their jet landed, Sam and Granger looked to Deeks for direction. "Let the party begin." He gave them his cheeky smile, but all three men glared at him. "Oh come on, we can party afterwards to celebrate the fall of the Comescus once and for good. Soon there will be no one left to continue the bloodline.

"No kids," Callen stressed.

"Of course," Deeks replied. "Do I look like Comescu?" Deeks furrowed his brow, he watched Callen like a hawk.

Parked beside the hanger was the black SUV Hetty had arranged. It was much slicker than the old blue station wagon they used the last time. He looked to Granger who understood the facade to keep going in front of Callen. Annoyance flickered in Owen's eyes over the fact that he had to get down on his injured knee to collect the key from underneath. Relief spread across his features after successfully finding and retrieving them in one swift motion.

"Right where they said they'd be," he said gruffly. Owen took the opportunity to be the driver and climbed in. Thankfully, Hetty and Nell had informed Granger and Sam the details, Callen didn't show any recognition that he was being played.

His eyes stayed on the scenery as they left Varna and headed north. The city was similar in size to Constanta, they hoped it was big enough to give them the advantage of slipping through the Comescu eyes. They drove north on the Nine, the traffic was clear and what should be a tense drive, became a quiet one. Owen kept a close watch for tails, but since they'd left Varna, no one appeared to take any notice of them. After an hour and a half of driving, Granger pulled off the main road towards a small coastal village. He continued to drive, passing all the buildings until they hit a dirt road with the Black Sea on their right.

The place felt familiar to Callen. He furrowed his brow, a memory skittered across like an old black and white movie. He'd travelled along this very road as a child. He was certain. "Stop the car."

Granger pulled over at the sudden outburst by Callen.

He stepped out of the vehicle and took the few steps down onto the sand. He turned around him, his focus went tumbling back into the past. He fell to his knees.

Sam quickly followed him. "G!"

He looked up at him with confusion.

"What's wrong?"

Callen's heart pounded heavily. "We came here as a family." He looked to the south. "I remember the road."

Sam raised his brow. "You sure? It could have been another road similar, further north?"

Callen shook his head. "No. The grass doesn't grow onto the beach in Romania like it does here, or further south. "We're close to the border, Vama Veche is just ahead."

"But you were just five when you remember coming to America." Sam looked at him astounded at his memory.

Callen looked back at him. "I remember. Mom took Amy and I to this very spot to play. The house back on the road, we…" he looked back to where they had come from. "I think we lived there for a while. We used to play on this beach every day, before we moved to Constanta."

Sam scanned the area. Farmland stretched behind them as far as they could see, the Black Sea to the east. The perfect place for Clara Callen to hide with her Russian husband for six years.

"Hetty said that my mother had gone underground for six years. This is where I was born."

"So you're not a Romanian gypsy after all, G, but Bulgarian." His dimples deepened as he smiled.

Callen stood up on his feet and nodded. "Yeah." He returned Sam's smile and gave a small laugh. "I am."

"Hetty will be pleased to hear this after we return."

Callen nodded, "it will provide her with something, I suppose." Callen walked back to the vehicle, directing his movements to the driver's side.

"What's wrong, Callen?" Owen Granger looked at him through his sunglasses.

Callen looked south again. "Can we turn back to that house?" he pointed to the one he was talking about.

"I thought you wanted to move quickly on this?"

"I do, but Deeks said we should wait until nightfall."

Deeks smiled. "I did. The tide will be at it's lowest, perfect time for some four wheel driving on the beach."

"Let's check the place out." Callen suggested.

"You sure you want to risk talking to any of the locals?" Granger was worried about anyone giving the Comescus the heads up that they were close to coming.

"It's okay, we used to live there. I remember the language."

Deeks's eyes widened. "You what? In that house?"

Callen climbed into the rear. "Yes. Before we moved to Constanta. Hetty told me that my mom went underground for six years. I remember this beach so clearly now that we're here. It makes perfect sense to hide right here."

"How long did you live here?" Deeks inquired, Sam slammed the door shut as Granger turned the vehicle around towards the house.

"Since I can remember. I think I was born here."

"Here, as in the house?"

"We didn't go anywhere when we lived here, only the local village for food. We kept to ourselves, Amy went to the local school, but other than that, this is where we lived. Everyday on the beach or playing on the grass."

They looked at the wide open spaces, there definitely was plenty of space for two children to run around.

Owen pulled in beside the house and they all climbed out. They allowed Callen to lead, he went to knock on the door. An old woman answered the door, her eyes widened with surprise and she went into a spin in a foreign language that only Callen could understand.

She pulled Callen into a hug, Deeks went for his weapon, but Granger held his arm. "No. It's safe. She remembers him."

"Hetty planned this? She never said…" Deeks looked to Sam who shrugged, his eyes remained on Callen.

"She told me," Granger admitted.

Deeks nodded, a smile crept across his features and his body relaxed.

"Bunicā?" Callen's jaw slackened in surprise.

"My beautiful Georgi?" Callen wrapped his arms around the ageing woman, tears spilled as he held his grandmother.

"Yes, Bunicā, it's me." He chewed on the inside of his cheek, trying to regain his composure. How had he forgotten his grandmother?"

She choked on a sob. "You came home, my beautiful Georgi came home." She wiped back the tears and looked at his companions.

"Where is your sister, Amelia?"

Callen looked despairingly at her. "She died a long time ago."

Sofia Callen trembled at the news. Callen helped her back inside and assisted her into a chair.

He ignored the footsteps of his companions, he was in disbelief that of all places on this planet, he ended up where his life began. How appropriate, he thought, when he was about to charge into the Comescu compound on a suicide mission.

"Who are your friends?" She eyed Sam's large frame. "This one looks serious, like you're his responsibility. Is he your bodyguard?"

Callen smiled. "He's my brother, Bunicā."

"And this one, the one with the cheeky smile," she grinned back at Deeks. "He's the charming one, isn't he?"

Callen chuckled, he tried to remember a younger Sofia Callen.

"He's also my brother."

Sofia nodded. "What about this one, he your brother too?"

Callen smirked, Sofia hadn't lost her sense of humour in her old age.

"He's the boss. Like a father." He looked at Granger for a moment, he was speaking in Bolgarian to his grandmother, but he wondered if he'd picked up on what he was saying.

Sofia smiled. "So it's safe to talk in English around these men?"

Callen nodded. "Yes, Bunicā."

Sofia grabbed his hand and firmly squeezed it. "You've grown up into a handsome man, like your grandfather." She smiled at the memory of her husband.

"George Callen?"

Sofia smiled. "Yes. He was strong and handsome like you." She studied him further. "You have his eyes too. Eyes that make you get lost forever," she reminisced.

"We can't stay long, Bunicā." Callen looked worried, his grandmother had aged and she appeared to be alone.

"Does anyone take care of you here?"

She nodded and smiled. "Yes, of course. My niece comes three times a week to make sure I am taking good care of myself."

Callen furrowed his brow. "Who is your niece?"

"You don't remember Ava?"

Callen shook his head. "No, I don't."

"She lives in Vama Veche."

Callen looked up at his team, he had family at tonight's destination. "Do you have a phone to call Ava?"

Sofia smiled softly. "Of course. Her number is right next to the phone."

Callen nodded, he walked over to it and dialled, the old telephone dial spun around as he selected each number. He waited until he heard a voice on the other end.

"Hello, is this Ava?"

"Yes, who is this?" He picked up on her strong Romanian accent.

"Georgi." There was silence on the other end, he wasn't sure if he did the right thing to tell his mother's cousin that he was back, but it would help them find a place to stay the night.

"Clara's Georgi?" He detected emotion in her voice.

"Yes." He heard the woman cry.

"We thought you were dead, like Clara. Is Amelia with you?"

Callen stood there silent, he hesitated on what to say. "No, she died a long time ago in America."

The woman sniffed and quickly got her composure back. "Where are you?"

"I'm with Bunicā."

"I will come at once."

"No need. I have some friends with me, we're coming your way. I was wondering if you had room for us to stay tonight?" The sky was darkening outside, he knew they wouldn't stay much longer. His heart ached, the family reunion was too short.

"Of course." She thought for a moment. "Are you coming the usual way?"

Callen pondered for a moment, he tried to think back to his youth.

"I think so."

"Oh good. I will meet you once you come. House with the red roof, I'm sure you will remember it, Georgi. You loved the colour red."

He nodded, he did once upon a time.

"Thank you, Ava. We will be there after dark."

"I'll be here." She disconnected the call.

"Is that wise, G?" Sam voiced his concern.

Callen looked at Deeks. "You're the boss on this,"

"Sounds like a good plan." Deeks nodded his head, he hid his smile, Hetty was one bright spark. She knew that this journey would bring back the memories for Callen, and he'd want to seek this house out. He looked at Callen's grandmother with warm affection.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Lone Wolf and the Detective**

 _Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine._

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

Darkness fell, the time to leave had come. Callen looked at his grandmother with a heavy heart. "We've got to leave now, Bunicā."

Sofia Callen nodded her head sadly. "I know."

Callen helped her to stand and wrapped his arms around her. He gave her no promises to see her again, how could he? He didn't know if he would come away from this mission alive.

Sofia pointed to his companions. "Which of you is his partner?"

Deeks raised his hand slightly. "That would be me, Ma'am."

Sofia nodded. "Make sure he comes back alive. I want to spend more time with him. Where you are going isn't for the faint hearted." She held her chest, it ached for her daughter and granddaughter already. She couldn't afford to lose him now that he'd returned to her.

"You know where we are going?" Callen looked at her with surprise. His heart lurched into his throat, she knew that he was going into danger.

"Do you think I am old and senile, my beautiful Georgi? I am the widow of a OSS officer, mother of a CIA operative. Grandmother to the last of my late husband's line. I see it in your eyes, my dearest boy. You are so much like your grandfather, he would be proud of what you have become."

Callen shook his head, tears threatened to spill and betray his bravado. "No, Bunicā, I don't. I just didn't know that you knew about what they did. What I do."

"How could I not? After Amelia was born, your mother and father needed to keep working, I came here to take care of her and then you once you came along."

He remembered her so clearly now, a much younger Sofia playing with them. So much of his early years were with her, not his mother. The woman he thought had been his mother playing with them at the beach was actually his grandmother. The fondness he held for her returned.

"Now you tell Silvia to take better care of you in future. I don't want to see you come here again with your guns ready for war."

"Silvia?" All four men looked at her quizzically. "Who are you talking about?"

Callen's eyes widened, his mind raced and looked over to Granger for help. "Who is she talking about?"

He shrugged.

"She was your mother's handler long ago." Sofia shook her head sadly. "She contacted me recently, I hadn't heard from her since your mother's death."

"Hetty?" He pulled his cell out and showed her the photo he carried of her.

"Yes, that's her. She came here once, just after your mother was killed. She brought you and your sister here to hide with me. Amelia was old enough to tell her where to find me."

"She knows my name?"

"Why do you ask that question?"

"Until today, I didn't know my name."

She looked at him in shock. "You forgot your name?"

"I forgot everything and everyone." Tears threatened to spill, Callen heaved out a sigh, trying to keep his emotions intact, but he was failing.

"I don't know if she knew your name or not, you were in shock, you didn't talk for a long time. She was here just long enough to tell me what happened and urged to get you and your sister out of Europe fast. Ava helped me get you to America, she took your mother's passport and pretended to be her. They looked so much alike. It was a difficult time, it was dangerous for you and your sister to be here." She paused. "What name have you had all of this time?" She took his hand and squeezed it gently.

"G. Callen. That's all I had. I have my grandfather's bedroll."

She nodded her head. "Of course. His bedroll had Callen, G. stamped on it."

"All Hetty could tell me was my mother's name and a little about my grandfather and the blood feud, but that was only a few years ago, just after we went in to save her from them."

"You've been to Constanta already?"

"Yes, we killed Alexa Comescu and a few others at the time. Then Dracul in Hawaii, Vasile and some more in Los Angeles a few years ago."

"It sounds like you have a good team to have your back, Georgi. But why are you going back there again, now?"

"They came back, an Andrei Comescu is after everyone I care about. He killed…" Callen looked over to his grandmother, he choked on a sob, "my wife and…"

Sofia wrapped her arms around him, she looked to Deeks. "This is bad indeed. You can't allow him to go like this."

"He won't stand down, Ma'am," Deeks replied, solemnly.

"Stubborn like his grandfather and mother." She heaved out a sigh. She pulled back a fraction and turned his face to look down at her. "Georgi, my beautiful boy. You need to let others fight this one for you."

"I can't, they killed my family."

She understood, but she worried for him. "I know how you feel, we've lost too many in this feud already. I can't risk losing you too."

"Why were we separated? Why couldn't Amy and I stayed here?"

"They would have killed you. I couldn't risk it. Once they saw you and Amelia with your mother, you were in danger. Ava hid you, she had to separate you both for your protection. She hoped that you'd both be adopted and live happy lives. Forget the terrible things you'd seen here."

"Why didn't you come back and live with us?"

Sofia shook her head, her body shook with emotion. "I couldn't. It was too dangerous, the Comescus were after anyone who was related or helped your family. I lost so many members of my family because I married your grandfather. Ava returned and stayed here with me until it was safe for her to return across the border. It was safest to stay here."

Callen wiped the tears from his face. Sam, Deeks and Granger stepped outside to give them some privacy. They scanned the area, it looked clear, but with night giving them shadow to hide, so did it to their enemies. They remained vigilant. They waited another ten minutes, Callen exited the house with vengeance in his eyes. He had more determination to kill the Comescus than he did before.

"You good, Callen?" Deeks held his arm to grab his attention. "I need to know that you won't go in all crazed with anger and get us all killed, or yourself killed for that matter. I'm here to have your back, but if you're going to go lone wolf on this, I swear I will kick your ass so hard, you'll end up landing on Hetty's roses."

His eyes were as turbulent as a raging stormy sea.

"You need to calm down, Callen. Or you stay here." Deeks was being team leader once again, now that he'd given Callen the time to see his grandmother. It was time to focus on the task at hand.

"Did Hetty plan this? For us to come here?" He looked to Granger, if anyone was privy to Hetty's dealings, it would be him.

"Yes," Owen admitted. "No one else knew."

His eyes stared out at the Black Sea, he fisted his hands at his side, but said nothing. He took in the deep breaths that Hetty had taught him so many years earlier. But the thought of the woman that he'd looked upon like a mother, the woman he needed to protect, had once again betrayed his trust in her. She'd hidden more family from him. His grandmother and his mother's cousin.

Callen turned and looked at the three of them. "How long has she known that my grandmother lived here?"

"Nell's been digging, she found her a week ago. Hetty sent someone to check that she was still alive and living here. It was only confirmed two days ago that your grandmother lived here," Granger admitted.

"But you never said anything to me."

"Hetty wanted you to remember on your own. She thought that this route would trigger your memory, just like the beach at Constanta did."

Callen nodded his head, his eyes sharp, as he looked directly at Granger. "You better be telling me the truth."

"Since when have I kept secrets from you, Callen?"

Callen raised his brows. "You really want to go there, Granger?"

"I haven't…"

"Save it for someone who will listen. You kept things from all of us from the word go. You and Hetty, you're just the same."

"Save your anger for your enemies, don't waste it on your family." Owen Granger omitted his skills in speaking Bulgarian. He'd heard every word Callen spoke with his grandmother. Especially when Callen admitted to Sofia that he was like their father. It had made him proud of him, to realise how far he'd come to accept the team as his family. He stressed the word family to him now, to make him realise he wasn't alone in this world.

Callen doubted there was any going back. He'd said what he'd said, he wasn't going to apologise. Gibbs had taught him that rule long ago.

"We've got to go now, Callen."

He turned and nodded to Deeks and climbed into the SUV. He took one last glance at the old house, his grandmother's silhouette looked out from a window.

Sam took control of the vehicle now, they continued on the dirt road until it ran out onto the beach. The tide was low, there was room to move the vehicle. Sam switched the gear into 4WD mode and drove at a steady pace through the sand. He kept the lights on low, the last thing they needed right then was to be caught trying to cross into Romania. Another road appeared, he drove up onto it and continued on until Callen pointed to the house with the red roof.

A dark haired woman of medium height appeared in the garage doorway as it opened. She ushered them in to hide their vehicle. Callen climbed out, he stared at her. Bunicā had been right, Ava was just like his mother.

"Georgi?" She wrapped her arms around him. "I can't believe it's you." She stood back and took a better look at him. "So much like your grandfather. I bet Bunicā loved seeing you again."

Callen nodded, he chewed on the inside of his cheek, overwhelmed.

"Now who are your friends?"

Deeks stepped forward. "Detective Marty Deeks, LAPD."

"A detective, I expected you all to be federal agents like the Callens."

"They are, I'm the liaison for their office."

Ava smiled warmly. "You all must be hungry, come."

They followed her inside her house and took a seat at the kitchen table. She brought out a casserole and bread from the oven.

"We have enough beds for you all, and supplies, whatever you need."

"We?"

Ava smiled. "My husband and I, we have continued your mother's work here, helping your father."

"But he's dead. Hetty told me he died a few years ago."

Ava shook her head. "No, he's alive. Back in Russia, took on a new name of course."

"I know, Konstantine Chernoff." Callen agreed he was hungry, but Ava's cooking was delicious. He couldn't get enough of her casserole into him.

"He changed again, back in 2008."

Callen stopped eating and looked up, he gave Sam a sideway glance. "My father is still alive?"

Ava gave him a warm smile. "Of course he is. But he has to hide, there are too many enemies out there after him. How he manages to help people escape to the west, I have no idea, while in hiding. But he does."

"Why didn't he come for us."

She looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry, Georgi. Leaving you and your sister in separate corners of the country, I had to keep you safe from the Comescus. They have a lot of people on their payroll, it was too risky. I had to hide you to protect you."

The pain was too much for Callen, here was the woman responsible for getting he and Amy out of Europe to safety, but then she left them alone. He stood up and walked back out to the garage. Ava followed.

"You look so much like her."

"I know. I'm sorry, Georgi. Life hasn't been easy for you. But you are alive."

He turned to face her. "They killed my family. My wife, she was pregnant. I have to end this now." Anger fired in his eyes.

Ava pulled him in and held him, she let him crumble under her. She understood grief only too well. She had lost her parents and siblings to the blood feud also.

"I understand your grief, Georgi. We've all lost so much of our family to the bloodshed. But you're not alone. You have your team with you, your other family."

He studied her for a moment, Ava understood who they were. "I need to see him. My father."

"I can send word to him, but I don't know where he is at the moment. When I do, I promise I'll tell him you want to see him."

He nodded. Callen was beyond exhausted. He wiped his hand over his face and widened his eyes, fighting the urge to slumber.

"You need to sleep, Georgi. Come, let me show you to your room." He was too tired to refuse, he followed her and before his head hit the pillow, he was fast asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Lone Wolf and the Detective**

 _Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine._

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

The sun peeped through the curtains straight onto Callen's face, causing him to squint his eyes as he opened them. The sun was high in the sky, for a moment he tried to gather his bearings. He looked across the room, Deeks laid face down on another bed, dead to the world.

"Deeks, wake up." Callen raised his arm and focused his eyes on his watch. He blinked a few times before the time sunk in. It was noon.

"Deeks," Callen walked over and shoved at him to move.

Marty Deeks groaned, "can't be morning yet, Kens, go back to sleep."

"Deeks, get up NOW!" The detective sat up too quickly, he shook his head to clear it and ruffled his hands through his hair.

"What time…" Deeks looked at his watch, "what?" He stood up and swayed, "whoa."

"Yeah, precisely. This isn't us, Deeks. We're always up early, only sleep for a few hours at the most when on a mission." He pulled his jeans on and his Blundstones.

"You think we were drugged?"

Callen nodded, that was exactly what had crossed his mind. He needed to find Ava and get answers. He trusted her, she was family. He wouldn't make that mistake again. He knocked on Sam and Granger's door, two groans greeted him from the other side. "Wake up."

Callen descended the stairs, his weapon drawn out, he felt betrayed. The house was quiet, there was no sign of Ava or her husband. In fact, Callen tried to remember if he met the husband. He walked through the house until he reached the kitchen. A man sat with his back to him, peeling potatoes.

"Ava and Sal left at dawn."

Callen kept his position in the doorway, his trust for this man was below zero.

"You can lower your weapon, I won't hurt you."

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Callen moved sideways into the kitchen, his eyes never leaving the man.

"So many questions, sit down, let me take a look at you."

The accent was Russian, the hairs on the back of Callen's neck pricked up. His breathing was quick. He could feel the blood pulsate through his body, thumping near his ear drums. Callen obeyed, pulling out a chair, its feet scraping across the wooden floor. "You've had your look, who are you?" Callen studied the man, he was a little older than Ava, he supposed. He stopped peeling and stared back at him.

"I can't see anyone around, maybe Ava left us a note?" Deeks entered the kitchen and halted. Callen held his weapon at the man before him. "Aah, Callen, is this the way to greet a guest? I mean we don't know who he is, he could be family."

"He's yet to identify himself." Callen's voice remained levelled, but he felt anything but calm.

"How rude of me," the man replied, "but not as rude as your friend here, MR?"

"Deeks. Detective Marty Deeks. LAPD."

The man nodded, "a cop. American of course. You think it's wise to wonder into Romania babbling in your home tongue and not be noticed?"

"Well if I knew another language, I would be pleased to use it. But LAPD don't have a reason to use foreign languages, unless it's Spanish. With all the immigrants entering California from the south, the need is getting greater. But I don't see Spanish helping me here."

"No it wouldn't. Do you always speak so much?"

"Don't tell me your another man of few words like my partner here?"

"I don't see the point to waste the energy." The man remained his eyes on Callen. "So you're Callen?"

Callen shrugged, "I don't know, you tell me." Callen had studied the man long enough, he could see the game he was playing. Sussing them out to be who they said they were. Callen was doing the same, although the man had yet to tell them his name. "It seems you now know our names, you've yet to tell us your's."

"You put that gun away then I will tell you." Callen nodded, he placed the safety back on and placed it into the small of his back.

"That's better. Now we can relax. There's coffee brewed, I suppose you'll be tired after your long journey."

"Your name?" Callen clenched his jaw, anger bubbled under the surface.

"Is your partner always this impatient?" The man took his focus off Callen and onto his partner.

"All the time. But if you think he's peeved, this is nothing." Deeks pulled two mugs from the cupboard and poured coffee for him and Callen. He pulled a bottle of milk from the refrigerator and added the liquid into their mugs. After placing the mug in front of Callen, Deeks joined them at the table. For the first time, Deeks was able to take a good look at the man. He hid his own surprise. He gave Callen a sideway glance, he furrowed his brow. He could see the tension build inside of Callen, he waited with bated breath to grab him if he lunged at the man. Not that he blamed Callen for all the emotions running through him at that moment. "I'd answer his question if I was you." Deeks advised the man.

Instead of capitulating to Callen and Deeks demands, he picked up another potato and began to peel. "Ava will be making Sherperd's pie for tonight's dinner. You like Shepherd's pie?"

Callen thumped his hand onto the table and rose from his seat. He saw the surprise on Sam and Granger's faces as they walked into the kitchen.

"I wouldn't go outside if I were you," the nameless man told him. "Ava and Sal will be back in an hour, they will update you when they get back."

"Update us on what?" Callen turned and leaned over the table. "We don't have time for games. We're leaving."

"Not without your vehicle, you won't get far." Callen gave Sam a look, his old partner pulled his keys out of his pocket and headed for the garage. Callen followed, Granger stayed behind with Deeks to keep this stranger company.

"Ah, Owen Granger. It's been a long time."

"Have we met before?" Granger narrowed his eyes, his voice harsh. He could see that this man was annoying Callen to no ends.

"Yes, a very long time ago."

"Perhaps if you tell us your name, that you've eluded to so far, then I might remember you."

The man smiled, "always the distrusting one. Are you to blame for Callen's lack of trust?"

Owen granger gave Deeks a look.

"He overhead me say Callen's name as I entered."

Granger nodded. "Your name?"

 _ **Garage**_

Sam and Callen breathed out a sigh of relief when they saw the black SUV sitting in the garage. "What did he mean about not getting far without our vehicle?" Callen shook his head, the man confused him and stirred lot of emotions inside of him, unsettling him.

Sam pressed the remote and pulled on the handle. The door refused to open. Sam tried again, "it won't unlock."

Callen took another look at the vehicle, "that's because it's not ours. Look at the number plates, they're Romanian, not Bulgarian."

"What games are they playing with us?"

"I don't know," Callen clenched his teeth, "but we're going to find out, even if we have to force it out of him."

"Hang on," Sam grabbed Callen's arm, "what is it about this man that's got you all fired up?"

Callen averted Sam's gaze.

"G." Sam held him by the shoulders, "who is he?"

Callen's eyes met Sam's, "he's my father."

Shock ripped through Sam, he looked to the door they'd entered from the house. He wanted to run back into the kitchen and grab the man and punch some sense into him. He saw the rejection in his brother's eyes. He pulled him in and wrapped his arms around him.

"We're your family now, G. We won't let him hurt you again."

Callen appreciated the comfort Sam provided him. Always the big teddy bear. It was times like this he was thankful to have Sam at his side. He missed it since they'd been separated due to Deeks and Kensi's marriage. He'd despised them both for it. He needed Sam. Then when it couldn't have gotten any worse, he lost his wife and unborn child. He couldn't hold in the tears. Callen pulled back, "thanks, Sam. I know. But I need to know why he never came for us. Why we were left abandoned. Ava knew where she left us, why didn't she tell him…"

"I know, G. He has a lot of questions to answer. But he's here, G. You've wanted this moment all the years I've known you and longer. Don't waste this chance."

"Hetty thought he was dead. Ava told me last night he was alive, but she didn't know where he was. And now…"

"And now he's here."

"Ava drugged us last night, Sam. I don't trust her. I don't trust any of them."

"I know. We'll wait for Ava to return to get our answers."

Callen nodded.

 _ **Ten hours earlier**_

Ava checked on her guests, all four men had drifted off to sleep easily. She hated to have drugged them, but she couldn't risk having Georgi run into the Comescu compound and get himself killed. She held her hand over her heart, he was like a son to her, her own son laid dead in Constanta, when he decided to fight the Comescus head on. She wiped a tear from her eyes, it was time to take matters into her own hand. A call came through on her cell, she looked at the caller id. Unknown. But that wasn't unusual in her line of work. "Alo." She kept her voice low and walked back down the stairs and into the back. The kitchen was warm from the open fire.

"Ava, it's me. I'm outside your back door."

Surprise washed over her, she quickly walked over to the back door and opened it. "What are you doing here?"

"Something is wrong. I feel it in here." Her visitor wrapped her in his arms, "are you both safe?"

"We are, but your timing.."

He looked up worried, "you have guests?"

"We do. Come sit." They sat next to the fire, "coffee?"

"Yes, thank you." Her visitor warmed his hands by the fire, although an unusually late heatwave had hit Europe, the nights reflected the true time of year of autumn. He found it hard to keep his hands and body warm the older he got.

She handed him his coffee.

"Thank you." He sipped and savoured the aroma.

"He's here."

He furrowed his brow, "what?" His eyes darted to the stairs.

"He's asleep. He brought some friends. They're heading into Constanta to face them head on."

"I don't understand? I thought you told me that you had him and his sister adopted in America, so they would be free from all of this."

"I'd hoped they'd be adopted. But things didn't work out."

"What do you mean, didn't work out?"

Ava sighed. "I'm sorry, Nik. I tried my best. But we're all in danger." She wiped her tears for her parents, siblings, cousins and her son.

"I'm sorry, I know." Nikita stood and paced the room like a caged tiger. "What happened to him? How did he find this place?"

Ava explained how someone came enquiring about Sofia a week earlier and the phone call from Georgi earlier in the evening.

"He remembers some things, but he was very little."

A churning inside of Nikita had his stomach in knots. He held himself against the mantel.

"I've given them all some sleeping pills in their dinner, they'll sleep till around noon."

Nikita looked at her wide eyed. "Is that wise, what if he loses his trust in you when he finds out."

"That is a risk I must make. Sal and I will leave at dawn to make our own assessment in Constanta. We need the latest information to help them. I can't afford to lose him after all we've done to protect him."

Nikita grabbed her arm, "I will go. They think I am dead. Better a ghost goes than you."

Ava gave a small chuckle, "they think the same about me. They think they've killed all of us a long time ago. They've been to Los Angeles, they've killed his wife and unborn child."

Anger flared in his eyes like the sun. He fisted his hands, "I will kill them all for this." His voice broke, his own emotion got the better of him. He'd lost so much, his beautiful wife, his children, he'd lost contact so long ago.

"No, we can't let them know. You've worked so hard for too long to make the Russians and the Comescus believe you're dead. Sal and I will go. Keep them here, delay them going."

Nikita took in a heavy breath, "moy syn. I cannot believe I get to see him again."

"It won't be easy, for either of you. He is full of anger, grief and mistrust."

"I will do what I have to then. Give me a job, it will keep my mind occupied until I have to face him."

Ava nodded and squeezed his hand. "Thank you."


	10. Chapter 10

**The Lone Wolf and the Detective**

 _Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine._

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

They needed a plan to outwit Callen's father. Deeks was good at taking attention away from the team, but Callen promised he wouldn't go lone wolf on him. Deeks had held up his end of the bargain, it was time he trusted him like he did Sam. Without a car, they weren't going anywhere. They needed the keys. He looked to Sam. "We need to find the keys for this thing. Where do you think Ava would hide them?"

Sam scanned the garage, emptying jars of nails and screws. It reminded Callen of Gibbs' basement and a hint of a smile merged on his lips. Sam looked back at him with a scowl. "What you are smiling about?"

"This garage, it reminds me of Gibbs' basement. Swap the car for a boat in the making. He puts his nails and screws in jars too. Empties them to drink scotch out of."

"You and Gibbs go back a long way."

"We do. At least he's never kept anything from me, secrets about my past."

"Hetty will have good reason for keeping your grandmother secret from you, G. You know she'll even die to keep you safe. She's already proved that to you a few times already."

Callen heaved out a sigh, "I know, Sam. I just can't help feeling like she's treating me like a kid again. Holding things from me that I have the right to know. I'm a grown man, have been for a real long time. I deserve to know the truth. I know she has all that she knows all locked away in a sealed envelope. I have to wait until she dies to read it all."

Sam nodded, he knew about the envelope, Callen had revealed it to him a few years back.

Callen stepped back and studied the vehicle.

Sam continued on his hunt, annoyed he'd lucked out he turned and looked at his partner quizzically. "What you doing?" He watched his former partner roll underneath the SUV on a creeper, his feet remained in view.

"Keys, GPS trackers." Sam heard a grunt and then Callen pushed himself back out, holding one of each in his hand, a smirk spread across his face.

'You think you're clever?"

Callen stood up and threw him the keys. "No, I don't think, I know."

Sam narrowed his eyes, "if you hadn't succeeded, I would wrestle you to the ground to put you in your place."

"You miss me as your partner." Callen's smirk broadened into a full blown cheeky smile.

"Yeah, as much as I like having Granger as my partner now."

Callen patted Sam on the back, "come on bro. Dad's not that bad. We've rubbed the rough edges off him and he ain't so bad."

Sam huffed, "I'd still rather you have my six."

"But lovebirds prevent that ever changing. Now," Callen grabbed a notepad and pen from a draw and started on a plan.

Sam watched on, impressed with what Callen came up with. The good night's sleep had done him good. All of them. If Sam had to admit, he felt better for it. Although he understood the hesitation in Callen over trusting any of his family after Ava'a stunt of drugging them.

He nodded, "okay. Let's do it."

He searched the vehicle and smiled when he saw their weapons in the boot. _What was Ava up to?_ he mused. Swapping vehicles was one thing, but to hide the keys underneath? After he checked everything out, he entered the house and quietly climbed the stairs. He found all of their belongings and took them down to the vehicle.

Callen entered the kitchen, his father was busy in his delaying tactics with Granger and Deeks, unaware of the progress he and Sam had made in the garage.

"Where are the keys to the SUV?"

Nikita turned his head to look at his son when he spoke to him in Russian. "Ava took them, I don't have them with me." He furrowed his brow, surprised that his son knew who he was and that he could speak so fluently in his mother tongue.

"Why are you here? To distract us so we don't leave here?"

"I didn't know until I arrived that you were here."

Deeks and Granger looked to each other, surprised over Callen's keenness to talk with his father in Russian. They hadn't expected this, but as they observed him, they realised that he was distracting the distractor. _Oh, Hetty would be impressed with his skills she'd taught him long ago,_ Deeks mused. He gave Granger a slight nod indicating for them to leave the room and find out what Sam was up to.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better? That my own father would leave me alone in a foreign country to fight for my life? Unloved and nameless?"

"You were supposed to be adopted and forget this life. To be safe away from all of this."

A cynical laugh escaped Callen's throat. "Safe? Do you have any idea what my life has been like? To have no family, to be hated because you have no name or no one to love you?" He didn't go into the abuse he'd suffered through the years in the system, nor how he almost ended up in jail at fifteen. Callen shook his head, "no, you have no idea. You continue on with your crusade at the cost of your children's lives. Amy drowned when she was eleven, some fun she had."

Nikita furrowed his brow, "what are you talking about?" Fear radiated from his eyes, no one had ever told him this news about his daughter. He saw the anger in his son's eyes, what had he done?

"Are you telling me that you have no idea about Amy?"

Nikita shook his head, "no."

"Then who left the flowers and card at her grave?" It hit Callen hard, Michael Reinhardt had stepped in as a substitute father, leaving them at his sister's grave. It had to be him, there was no one else. "You never contacted Michael Reinhardt, did you?"

Nikita shook his head, "no." The admission pressed sharply into Callen's chest. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, trying hard to rein in his emotions. Finally after a lifetime of searching, his father sat before him. He studied him, he looked old. He could see the similarities to the old family film strip Deeks had found in Reinhardt's home. It was how he knew who he really was.

"He died. The Comescus took him and killed him in front of me. They thought he was you. Do you know what's it's like to have both parents murdered in front of you?" Callen fisted his hands beside him. "He died to protect you."

Nikita was speechless, it explained why he'd lost touch with the man.

"I have no reason to stay," his eyes were cold like ice. "You can tell Ava that you failed in keeping us prisoner. We're out of here."

"Georgi, please. Don't go?"

"Why? What do I owe you? You lost the right to be my father long ago. Mom didn't have a choice, when she was murdered on the beach. What kind of father leaves others to take care of his own children, especially ones who had witnessed their mother being shot? And Ava, what was she thinking when she abandoned Amy and I in America on opposite sides of the country, alone? Amy died alone, but I won't. I have my family, my team. I don't need any of you." Anger laced his lips, he shook his head and walked out. It took him all his strength to hold back from punching his father in the jaw.

A numbness entered his heart as he climbed into the SUV alongside his team. "Let's go."

Sam nodded and headed for Constanta.

 _ **Constanta**_

Nell spread her beach towel out on the white sandy beach to the south of the Comescu beach house. With her wide brim hat and swimsuit as her disguise, she lathered sunscreen onto her delicate skin. She laid down with the perfect view of the house and road, her novel opened in her hands, she read. It was in Romani and after the long lessons with Hetty over the years, she'd mastered this Eastern European language with ease. She fitted in perfectly to her surrounding and was one of two members of the team who hadn't been burned from previous Comescu attacks. Beale was the other, but he was in no means in the position to be there. He watched her closely from the safety of Ops in Los Angeles. Hetty sat in a small town house a few blocks away, just in case Nell's real identity was burned. Like Deeks who was burned from his arrival in Prague with Callen, Sam and Kensi a few years back. So far, Nell was safe.

Nell turned and sat up, looking out at the Black Sea. She tried to imagine a young Callen building sandcastles on the beach and hearing the gun shot. She shook the thought from her mind and opened a bottle of water. They'd had a late heatwave in Europe, with record breaking temperatures. She was sizzling on the beach and pondered about purchasing an umbrella. At least she would be cooler while she watched and gathered intel. A shadow appeared over her, she looked up with her hazel eyes at the man in a suite. "Alo." She smiled up to the blond man. She'd seen him outside the Comescue beach house earlier talking to a woman. She had no intel on his identity, but she hoped with his close proximity, Eric was entering his image into COTIS as she sat there.

"It's a hot day, miss. Please come and sit in the shade over here." He indicated to the trees beside the beach house, some deck chairs laid out. "Please, I cannot enjoy myself watching you burn."

His voice was heavy in the local dialect, Nell was prepared to use all that she'd learned to sound like she was at least Romani. Hetty had taught her well.

He'd watched her with a pleasing eye, the petite woman with curves that had his mouth water. He'd watched her for the past hour, lathering in sunscreen and gulping down the water. He took that as a sign that she was struggling in the heat and made his move.

"Thank you," she responded in perfect Romani dialect. He held his hand out to help her to standing and picked up her bag and beach towel like the perfect gentleman. But she was on guard, no Comescu was to be taken lightly. She must be very careful. She followed him and thanked him as she took the deck chair that he pointed to.

"Would you like some Harghita?"

Nell had read up on what the locals preferred to eat and drink and she knew the brand well enough and nodded. "Thank you." She accepted the spring water and drank the contents down. She did feel much cooler sitting in the shade, but how was she going to get out of there unscathed? Now that this Romani had her in his sights, her nerves were a little on the shaky side. She took in a deep breath and calmed herself down. She pulled her novel out and continued reading. Her ear was open to any conversation she heard from her position.

The man had introduced himself as Luca, but Nell had no idea if he was a Comescu or someone who worked for them. She hadn't come across a Luca in her research recently. He left her to her novel, reading the newspaper. After what seemed like an eternity to Nell, another man walked out holding a tray with food for the two of them. Without saying anything, he left the tray on the table and walked back into the house.

"Are you hungry, Mirela?" Nell looked up from her novel, her stomach growled.

"Yes, I am actually." She spied the food, grilled fish and salad. Perfect for a hot summer's day.

"Let's eat."

She accompanied Luca at the table and looked out over the water. "It's very kind of you to invite me to sit with you, Luca."

"It's my pleasure to have the company of a beautiful woman."

Nell blushed, she wasn't used such compliments. Normally she was awkward, but being undercover had her pushed at her comfort levels.

 _ **Nearby**_

Ava and Sal had sat outside a local cafe for hours, watching the Comescu beach house. There had been no visitors or unusual activity since they'd arrived. In fact, the family appeared to be almost non-existent as if the place was vacant. Only the signs of a few guards hinted at the family's presence. They'd lost a great deal of family members over the years, like their own family, Ava mused. More recently after Georgi and his team became involved. Her cousin's son's involvement into this deadly blood feud did nothing to ease the knots in her stomach. She'd tried to protect Clara's children by taking them far away from Constanta. Only now to learn that her efforts had backfired. Georgi's anger was evident in his eyes. She saw his pain, losing his wife and unborn child. It gutted her to the core. How long would this feud continue? In battle there was always casualties, but from where she sat, no one was the victor. Georgi had a determination to see this through once and for all, but his scars were deep from the war. A war that had no place with him or his mother. Sadness returned to her heart thinking back to the time her dear cousin and best friend had been murdered. It had chipped away at her soul knowing that after all that they'd done to protect her children from their work, they'd been discovered on that fateful day. The fact they'd survived had been a miracle, when that petite woman had turned up at her aunt's place with the children. Georgi was the most affected, Amelia did everything she could to comfort her brother. But he refused to speak. He clung onto his sister for dear life. She fisted her hands, why had she separated them from each other? After all they'd gone through, how had she been so cruel to make that decision? Memories skittered across her mind like an old black and white movie. The fear for their lives, the urgency to get them out and to hide them had been great. The plan had been in hope that both children would be adopted and live a happy life. Now she knew that hadn't been the case. Nikita had told her that he had someone watch his son from afar, but he'd lost contact with him. Georgi was angry, he'd been dragged back into the feud because he had lost his name and bared his grandfather's name, G. Callen. Neither his mother or father's names had been safe. Her heart sank. She'd failed Clara's children. If only she could go back in time and do things differently. Movement from the beach house caught her attention. Someone walked over to a woman who sat on the beach. She couldn't get a good look at her with her wide brim hat. She snapped photos of her, she was petite and young. The man appeared to be taken by her. He led her across to the shade.

"Well, well, well. It looks like the youngest of the Comescus is a gentleman after all. Look at this, Sal?"

Sal looked over and watched Luca Comescu escort a young woman to the shade.

"Any ideas on the woman? I've never seen her around before."

"No. Can you read their lips?"

Sal nodded. She's speaking Romani, probably from Bucharest enjoying the warm weather. "He's offered her the shade and she's accepted. They're not speaking much."

They watched her accept the drink of spring water and return to her novel. Luca picked up his newspaper and continued reading it. They continued to watch, ordering their lunch as they waited for something to happen. Luca and the woman moved to the table to eat.

"What do we know about Luca?" Sal asked his wife after taking a bite from his salad.

"He's been sheltered from much of his father's family. His mother wanted to protect him from the danger. But now he's grown up he has returned home about a year ago. I'd say he's around mid twenties." Ava looked at her intel on her laptop on the youngest Comescu.

"It might explain his acts of kindness on the woman. She looks harmless. Not the kind that usually gets involved with this family."

"It looks safe for Georgi and his team. We should head back before Nikita has any problems."

"Agreed." They finished their lunch and paid their check, and headed towards their vehicle. A dark SUV caught their attention. It was the passenger that had Ava grip her husband's arm with fear.

"Sal, they're here." He looked in the direction of the SUV and nodded.

"What do you want to do?"

"We can't leave them, it's not safe for them to be here now. I have to do something."

"Not in the open," Sal advised her. "It's too dangerous. Let's follow at a distance and decide on what to do next.

Ava nodded. She needed to protect Georgi at all costs. Her efforts to protect him had failed again.

 _ **A few blocks away**_

Henrietta Lange watched on through the cameras and microphones Nell had attached in her clothing, to the lunch date she had with the young man. She had no idea who he was and Eric was working as fast as he could to find out his identity. So far they had a name, Luca. But was he a Comescu? He appeared friendly enough and so far, no threat on Nell appeared apparent.

"Mr Beale, have you found anything on this Luca?"

"I am still waiting, Hetty." His eyes widened as his computer pinged. "Hang on. I think I have something."

"Oh Hetty. You're not going to like this."

"Who is he, Mr Beale?"

"Luca Comescu. He's Twenty-six, the youngest of the family. He's spent most of his teenage years in Southern France with his mother, Adriana. He then went on to study business in Italy."

"How long has he been back in Constanta?"

"A year."

Hetty pursed her lips, "keep a close eye on Miss Jones, Mr Beale. I want to know the instance there is a problem."

"Will do, Hetty." Eric disconnected, and kept his focus on Nell. He rubbed his hand over his eyes, he was tired, but he would not fail her while she was in danger. It was early hours of the morning in Los Angles, he'd only managed four hours sleep before Hetty required him back into Ops again. He yawned and picked up a mug of coffee and sipped. He needed the caffeine to keep him alert.

 _ **The beach**_

Sam pulled over in a side road. Deeks looked out the window to look back at the beach house. "Looks the same as the last time we were here. Only thing different is that there's no Hetty to rescue."

"We need to know how many guards they have around the house and the coming and goings in the house." Callen's voice was unusually calm considering the pounding of his heart inside his chest. It felt heavy and larger than normal, like a tumour hand taken hold.

"I'll go for a walk," Granger offered. "I'm the least suspicious of the four of us."

"Go." Callen agreed, after their last visit to this location, he, Sam and Deeks along with Kensi's identities had been burned. It was the reason why he'd accepted Granger to come, as well as to watch Sam's back. He couldn't concentrate worrying about Sam if he didn't have a partner. He'd never forgive himself if anything happened to him. Nor could he face Michelle if he lost him. This operation was on his head. If anyone was going to die, it would be him. It was he who they were after. If he was dead, the others would be safe from future attacks and they could no longer hurt him. The pain from all that he'd lost was great. He'd tried to forget it as a child, and he had for a long time. But flashbacks and the pain returned again when they arrived at this beach a few years back. There was no going back for him now. He'd lost too much to not go ahead with his revenge. For Joelle and their unborn child, for his mother and sister. He would fight till it killed him.

Deeks looked over at Callen, the cold ice stare he gave as he looked towards the beach house sent chills down his spine. "You're not going to do anything stupid, Callen." Deeks met Callen's stare.

"So you've said already," Callen clenched his jaw.

"You are not to go lone wolf on us."

"So you keep reminding me."

Sam looked between Callen and Deeks. He could see Deeks determination to keep Callen on the level, but he also saw the signs that Callen was ready to fight to the death. It worried him. His brown eyes were heavy with concern.

"G, Deeks is right. We're here for you. You're not alone." He squeezed his shoulder, "we're family. We do this together."

Callen nodded, emotion ripped through him. He bit onto his bottom lip. His flesh and blood had failed him, but this make shift family that Hetty had put together for him had proven their worth over and over. He met Sam's eyes, "I know." It was all that he could muster, but he appreciated the sentiments. He moved his gaze back to Deeks. "No lone wolf. We go in together when the time is right."

Deeks nodded. He was as determined as his partner, his own wife's life hung in the balance over the success of this mission. She was their next target in their goal to hurt Callen. He knew that Kensi was more than capable to protect herself and Milly from an attack, but it still didn't stop him from worrying.

Granger returned quicker than anyone had suspected. "Ava and her husband have seen us. They've told me to tell you to meet them around the corner. They've been watching the place and have an update."

Anger surged through Callen. His trust for his mother's cousin was almost non-existent.

"G?" Sam looked to him, he understood how he felt about Ava.

Callen looked to Granger. "Go for a walk along the beach, see what you can find out. Deeks and I will speak with Ava. Sam you stay here ready with the vehicle just in case we need a quick get away."

They all nodded and left Sam alone, waiting.


	11. Chapter 11

**The Lone Wolf and the Detective**

 _Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine._

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

Owen Granger walked along the water front towards a cafe and sat. He looked through the menu while glancing towards the beach house. He spotted Nell instantly and his hand couldn't reach is cell quick enough.

"Owen." Hetty continued to watch her protege at work with Luca via her laptop.

"Silvia." His gravelly voice told her they'd found out much since their arrival.

"You've found her."

"Yes we did. Or should I say Georgi did."

"He found his name." A smile spread across her face, pleased. At last her boy has his name. Her heart swelled inside her chest with happiness.

"Yes he did." He sighed, "you better have a good reason why your young companion is dining beside the beach with a stranger." He kept his eyes focused on Nell, although to those around him, he was studying the menu.

"Aah! You've spotted Mirela. She's progressed much faster than I had anticipated. It appears young Luca Comescu has a weak spot for hazel eyes."

"You know he won't approve of this move, he's here meeting someone."

"Family?"

"Yes. Just how much of his family have you and your companion found?" He kept his conversation on the low, nothing to set off alarms if there were any ears listening out for the Comescu family.

"His grandmother and her niece."

"And what about his father?"

Hetty furrowed her brow, "impossible. My search for him came to a dead end. Literally. He died in 2008. We've already been through this, Owen." Her impatience slipped through.

"He's a ghost, like his son. Good at disappearing. But he's well and truly alive. We've seen him at the house."

Hetty hitched her breath, her pulse quickened. "He's alive?"

"That's what I said." Owen threw the menu flat onto the table and indicated to a waiter he was ready to order. His stomach grumbled, they'd left without eating. Two meals missed.

Her synapses worked fast, "I knew he was good, but I didn't think he could hide that well from me."

"You should, he's evaded you for forty years. Now, how do you want your companion relieved?"

"She can manage fine on her own. It's best no one makes contact with her while she's undercover."

"Where are you?"

"Close by. Safe. I'm watching her on my laptop."

"Good. We might need you." He disconnected the call and ordered his meal.

 _ **A nearby alleyway**_

Callen and Deeks walked behind the buildings up an alleyway. They trusted Owen that this was the right location. A vehicle sat facing away from them. They could just make out the images of a man and a woman in the front seat. They joined them, climbing into the back of the vehicle. "You better have a damn good explanation for drugging us last night." Callen's eyes turned to ice as he glared at his mother's cousin. "You're family, I should be able to trust you, but I've learned that lesson."

"Georgi, I'm sorry. You needed the rest and I couldn't afford to have you and your team barge into the Comescu beach house and get yourself killed. Too many of us have risked our lives to protect you." He saw the sadness in her eyes. He'd learned from his grandmother just how many of her family had been killed in this blood feud already. It was time to put a stop to it.

"I'm not a child anymore. This ends with me." He climbed out of the vehicle, Deeks followed.

"Georgi, please." Ava stepped out and held onto his arm, pleading. "Not yet. Wait until it's dark. We will come and fight with you."

He shook her hand from off his arm, "no. No one else in my family will die."

"It's not your call, son." Callen turned, his father stood in the alley stopping his escape.

"Never call me that again," he growled.

"I'm sorry. I failed you and your sister. I thought you would have a better life, but I was wrong. I've lost everyone who matters to me, except for you. You are my last remaining heir. I will not have you go in there and get yourself killed.

"You lost your chance in having a say in my life forty years ago. I'm passed caring what you think. Where were you when it mattered? I've lost my mother, sister, wife and child. You don't have the right to tell me what to do." Anger laced his lips. Rage rippled through his body, his muscles tensed.

"You weren't supposed to be found by them. You were to have a new name, not your grandfather's. To be safe, happy and loved. Not this. That was my wish for you and your sister. To have a good life," he chocked on a sob, his own resolve to be strong for his son crumbled.

It should have ripped through his heart to see his own father crumble with emotion while he tried to stop him. But he didn't. He felt numb where he should have felt love for him. The old family film strip should have helped him open up to this man, his father. But as he stood there, he looked at him as if he was a stranger.

Deeks hand gripped his shoulder. "Perhaps we should hear out what Ava and Sal have to tell us?" He tried to add reason to his partner, he saw the lack of empathy Callen had towards Ava and his father. _It shouldn't be like this,_ he thought to himself. Callen should feel the need to respond, to feel something. Instead Callen erected walls around his heart. Losing Joelle had hardened him. Perhaps if he'd met his father while Joelle was alive, this reunion would have been very different.

Callen nodded. "But not here. We need somewhere safe to hide out."

At that moment, his cell buzzed. He looked at the id with a quizzical expression. "Hetty?"

"Mr Callen, how is your trip so far?"

"You can drop the facade, Hetty. I know you're well aware of where we are . You better be back in L.A. or," his face went white, Deeks showed him an image from Ava's camera. He took the camera for a closer look, "why is Nell dining with a Comescu?" The rage inside of him threatened to bubble over.

"Owen told you," she'd hoped Callen wouldn't find out.

"No. Ava has a photo of her lazing on a sun lounger and dining with a Comescu. What the hell, Hetty? Why would you place her in danger like this?" Fear for Nell ripped through him like falling through the cracks on a glacier.

"Mirela is doing fine. No one knows of her true identity or her link to you. She is perfectly safe."

"Safe? No one is safe around that family."

"It appears that she is for now. No one is to make contact with her while she is undercover."

"Get her out of there now." Anger surged through him, "or I'll go in myself to drag her out."

"You will do no such thing, Mr Callen. Nor will you raise your voice at me like a wild boar," she huffed.

Guilt washed through him, "Hetty…I'm sorry." He clutched his chest, a searing pain burned like fire.

"Callen?" Deeks looked over to him with worry.

"He needs a doctor." Nikita looked at his son as fear for him took hold.

Callen shook his head, "no. I'm fine. I just need a moment." He took in a deep breath.

"Mr Callen?"

Deeks took Callen's cell, "Hetty. Callen's just having some issues, I'll call you back." He disconnected the call, he knew the signs. Callen was having a panic attack.

Frustration coursed through her at the disconnection. She dialled Sam's cell, hoping he'd provide her with some answers.

"Callen, you need to sit down." Deeks looked over to Ava, "he needs a drink of water, do you have some on you?"

Sal threw him a bottle.

"Thanks." He opened it and handed it to Callen.

Callen swallowed the contents, nodding to Deeks in thanks.

"What's going on?" Nikita watched his son's colour return to his face and his breathing ease.

"Panic attack. I used to suffer from them when I was a kid," Deeks explained. "But I've never seen Callen have one." He squatted down in front of Callen, "are you okay?"

Callen nodded. "Thanks." Deeks continued to surprise him just how aware of things he was.

"How long have you been getting these?"

Callen's eyes darted away from Deeks, he caught his father's gaze. "Since…" his eyes moved back to Deeks, "since Jo…" he couldn't go on. The pain was too much.

Deeks nodded, he understood what he was trying to say. "You shouldn't be going into the beach house in this condition. I'm with your father on this one."

Callen shook his head, "no. Cannot lose anyone else in my family." His admission was at least something for Nikita. Callen wanted to protect what he had left.

"I'm your family and I'm coming, there's no stopping me," Deeks reminded him. "You're not going lone wolf on any of us." He cut to the chase, he saw the look in Callen's eyes, he knew what he was contemplating.

"I have to, this ends with me."

"When are you going to get this through that thick head of yours, we're in this together. You and me, wherever you go, I will follow."

"I'm not Kensi," Callen argued.

"You're my partner. And the last I looked, I was team lead on this operation."

Nikita smiled approvingly at Deeks. He was pleased that at least his son had someone who looked out for him and fought him on making dangerous decisions.

He quickly turned as he heard footsteps run down the alley. Relieved it was one of his son's team members, he relaxed.

Sam couldn't get there quick enough, after Hetty's call, worry for Callen grew deep within him. "G, are you okay? Hetty called me, she said something was wrong." He furrowed his brow, his soft brown eyes scanned over him.

Callen averted his gaze to the ground, he couldn't face Sam over what had happened.

"He had a panic attack," Nikita revealed. Callen's eyes widened and set on his father, furious for the betrayal.

Sam crouched down and assessed him further. "G?"

"I'm fine."

"Like hell you are."

Callen tried to stand, Sam helped him to his feet.

"Your colour is back at least. But this has to stop." Sam had witnessed a panic attack at Hetty's. It had scared him at first, but he knew the signs and he had helped him through it.

"He's okay now," Deeks intervened between the two best friends.

"See, Deeks knows best."

Sam raised his brow in surprise over how much success Deeks was having with his former partner. Usually it was him who Callen went to, things had changed since the partner swap. More so now since Joelle's murder. He felt a pang of jealousy rip through him. "So what's the plan? " Sam decided to make the most of his opportunity of being there.

"We haven't got to that yet, Georgi has been challenging," Ava shook her head at him.

Sam studied his partner, "what's got you exacerbated this time?"

Callen's eyes moved to Ava's camera, she handed it to him. His eyes widened and muscles tensed.

"Hetty's approved this?"

"It appears so," Deeks responded, clearly not amused either by having Nell in close proximity to a Comescu.

"We've got to get her out of there…"

"We can't." Anger flared in Callen's eyes. "Hetty's orders. She 'thinks' she's safe while her cover is intact." He heaved out a heavy breath, venting.

"We should let Granger know, he can watch her."

"He knows, Hetty thought that's how we knew."

"He's spotted her already. That's a start. At least we have eyes on her."

"I don't like it, Sam."

"I know, neither do I."

Deeks looked at Ava, "what's your thinking?"

"She may be safe for now, as long as there is no one around to link her to any of you. Perhaps this Hetty is right to tell you to keep clear. She might get more intel than we can at the moment. We should sit and wait till dark."

Waiting was the last thing Callen wanted to do, Sam and Deeks looked at him, they both knew how challenging this was for him.

"Okay. Where do you think is the best location?" Deeks inquired, his mind thinking back to their last safe house of the abandoned warehouses a few blocks away.

"There's some abandoned warehouses nearby, we can set up base there for now." The three men stared at Ava. "What?"

"We know the place. We used it last time we were here," Callen grumbled. He didn't like having an audience to their operation, but it appeared he was outnumbered on all accounts.

"Good. We'll meet you there soon."


	12. Chapter 12

**The Lone Wolf and the Detective**

 _Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine._

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

Nell looked at her watch, it was getting late in the day and she needed a way to leave. She'd spotted Granger by the cafe when he arrived so she knew the rest of the team were close by. She needed intel to pass onto them, Luca was her way in. Once she'd gotten what she needed, she would thank him for his hospitality and leave. The sun lowered behind the city, causing a rich orange hue to spread over the sky. Another warm day expected tomorrow as well. The heatwave was expected to last for another two days and then autumn would hit the region fully.

It shouldn't have been so warm at this late in the year, Luca mused. He was used the the warmth after his years on the Mediterranean. He'd been spoilt and now he revelled it this sudden burst of heat before winter came. He shuddered from the cool air that drifted over the sea. Nightfall was a shock after the heat of the day.

"It's getting late," Nell stood up and looked at Luca. "You have been very kind, thank you for your hospitality, Luca. My mother will be worrying if I don't return soon."

"It's been my pleasure, Mirela. You are a beautiful woman, you deserve to be taken care of, not for you to take care of an old woman."

"Don't you care for your mother?" She looked up at him with her hazel eyes, she had him bewitched.

She saw sadness in his eyes, "my Mother is not here. She's in Southern France, she moved there after my parents divorced."

"I am sorry, you must miss her."

"I do, I go when I can. I used to live with her, then after university in Italy, my father demanded I came here. He's getting old, but we take care of him."

"We?"

"My brother and I. Andrei is much older, he stayed with our father, so I don't really know him. He's secret with much what he does."

"Could I please use your bathroom before I go?"

"Yes, of course. I'm sorry, I've delayed you leaving. Thank you for your company today, Mirela."

"Thank you, it's been nice to have company."

Luca led her inside the house and pointed her in the direction of the bathroom.

Nell locked the door behind her and breathed out slowly. She focused on what she'd seen so far in the house, it's layout in relation to where she was. Memories flashed back to a time when she, Eric and Vance waited with bated breath to hear news from the team in Constanta. They heard about Hunter being there, they'd found evidence that she'd been there before. Worry grew over Hetty and the team. Could they trust Hunter? Could they safely get Hetty out and survive the invasion without being killed? Her thoughts were distracted with raised voices nearby.

"You don't bring just anyone into our home," the unfamiliar voice growled.

"You're not being reasonable, Andrei." Luca huffed out at his brother. "You may be older but you are not the boss of me. I can invite whomever I chose."

"While our father is ill, I am the boss of this family."

Nell stayed put inside the bathroom, hoping that Andrei would leave so she could get out of there. She looked at the bathroom window and contemplated an escape. But with all the guards she'd seen scattered around the place, it was safest to leave her cover intact.

"More like pigheaded," Luca scoffed. He'd been raised better than his brother, time with his mother had served him well. But Andrei had been left behind with their father. Now, Luca regretted his move and wished to be back home in the south of France.

Andrei gripped his hands tight around his brother's neck, "you will never talk to me like this again."

His face went red from anger, Luca stood his ground and took the abuse. He knew his brother was secret with much of what he did, Luca had yet to be exposed to the real dealings the Comescus were famous for. His father had placed him in the legitimate side of the family business, with his degree in business. And after a year on the job, he was going well. Today was the first time he'd faced his brother's anger. For what? Bringing a girl he liked into the family home? His brother was behaving like a wild bear who was out of order. He frowned, their father's illness had been sudden and he laid in his bed upstairs for the past month.

"We'll see what father has to say about this," Luca coughed to clear his throat. It throbbed from Andrei's hold.

"Father will agree with me," Andrei hardened his eyes, "Mother has made you weak." Andrei spat as he walked off, annoyed with his kid brother from his lack of respect on their family.

The hallway was silent again, Nell flushed the toilet and washed her hands. Now was the time to leave or else be stuck there forever. She unlocked the door and found the hallway empty. She pondered about going for an exploration of the place, but quickly changed her mind after the anger Andrei displayed with Luca. If he behaved like that with his brother, how much more violent he would be with her? No, she would not place herself in anymore danger than she had already. She could imagine the anger on Callen's face if he knew where she was. She couldn't put him through it. She made her way back to the kitchen, where she found Luca pouring himself a cup of coffee.

He turned and smiled her way, "you found your way back out okay?"

She nodded, "yes, thank you. I better go, my mother will be worrying."

"I'll escort you home." He said it with no room for her to argue.

"Thank you." She knew that whatever she had heard go down between the brothers, had also been heard by Eric and Hetty. She needed to find out more about Luca, she couldn't allow the team to kill just anyone in the Comescu home. If Andrei is the one behind the attacks, then it's him who they should be after, not the likes of Luca, who has so far, displayed nothing but kindness to her. They walked the couple of blocks to the small house where Hetty waited for her. As long as Luca had no idea who Hetty was, her cover would continue to be safe.

 **Abandoned Warehouse**

Sam's cell beeped, he looked at the text Hetty had sent him.

"Nell is safe, she's on her way home. She has company. Stay clear."

Callen's eyes met Sam's, "who is it from?" They'd settled in a different part of the abandoned warehouses, two blocks back from the beach house. After their last encounter, he didn't want to take the risk to make it even easier for the Comescus to find their base.

Sam's eyes darted over to Deeks, "Nell's left the beach house."

"Then we go now." Callen stood up and slipped his weapon back into the rear of his jeans.

"Hetty said specifically to stay clear."

"Of where?" Frustration spread through him like a wildfire. "The beach house or where they're staying?"

Sam realised he had no idea. He quickly sent a message back to Hetty for clarification. "Stay clear of where?"

 **A few blocks away**

"I'm sorry if I caused problems between you and your brother," Nell tested the waters, it had been obvious she'd heard them argue. To not mention it could raise suspicion.

"I'm sorry you had to hear all of that." Luca grabbed her hand and stopped on the sidewalk. "My brother has had a hard life compared to me. He stayed behind with our father who was rough on him. I think he's felt the pain of mother leaving our father the most, and he is jealous of me because I went with her."

"Surely that's not your fault?" Nell looked up at him with genuine sympathy.

"No, none of it was. But my father is a hard man. I was ordered to come here to work for the family business, he didn't care that I had plans to return to Marseille after I finished university."

"I'm sorry, Luca. Parents can be a challenge at times."

"Like you with your mother?"

Nell nodded.

"I'm sorry for rambling on about my problems, you have many of your own."

She'd already come up with a story how she had to take care of her ailing elderly mother, to Luca earlier by the beach. It gave her cause to leave before sundown.

"It's fine, Luca. Really it is. We both have that in common. At least you have a brother you can share the burden with."

"You don't have any brothers or sisters?"

Nell shook her head. "No. It's just the two of us." She looked sad and almost felt guilty for the lie. Back home she had parents who were full of life and siblings that filled the house with their own families. She was the baby of the family and the only one who'd yet settle down and have kids. The pressure from her family was getting stronger each time she spoke with them. It was hard because she couldn't tell them the truth of what she did for a living and that with all that she'd witnessed, there was no safe place for her to have a family of her own. She couldn't risk losing them, not after she'd seen had happen to Callen. They continued the walk until they'd reached her house. "Well this is it."

Luca looked at the tiny house, it looked like the others that bordered on either side, run down and in need of repair.

"How long are you staying in Constanta?"

"Just the week." Nell wrapped her arms around herself, the sudden chill of the night's air was sharp.

"It's a bit of a shock after the warm day. Thank you for your company today, Mirela. I've enjoyed having you around."

"Me too." Somehow Nell felt that she half meant it too.

He leaned down and gently kissed her on the cheek. She shivered.

"Goodnight, Mirela."

"Night." Nell entered the house and locked the door behind her. She leaned on the back of the door and sighed. When she opened her eyes, Hetty sat there with a wry smile across her face. They waited until they'd heard Luca's steps fade down the road before they spoke.

"You did well today, my dear." Hetty poured two glasses of scotch. "A toast to a good job well done."

Nell stepped forward and picked up the tumbler and gently knocked it onto Hetty's before swallowing it down in one smooth gulp.

"Something's on your mind," Hetty observed.

"He's nothing like his brother, I doubt he knows anything about the family business, well the illegal part anyway.

"Eric's been busy while you've been working. He's found a great deal about young Luca. He would have to agree with you on this. He's been living with his mother since he was two. Andrei is ten years older, left behind to fend for himself with their father, who has a ill temper."

"Their father is sick, he's been unwell in bed for a month, Luca told me."

"I heard."

Nell nodded, "of course you did." Her eyes darted to the door, "we cannot allow the team to go in and kill everyone, not all of them are like Andrei and their father."

"I agree, which is why I've instructed them to stay clear until we come up with another plan."

 **Abandoned Warehouse**

Anger surged through Callen. He paced the building like a caged tiger.

"You need to stop doing that, Callen. I can't think." Deeks ran his hand through his long locks, trying to come up with another plan.

"We should be there now, killing them all."

"You heard what Hetty said, G." Sam stepped in, annoyed as well, but the worry etched in his usually warm brown eyes.

"Well if we can't go and do what we're here for, then I'm going to where Hetty and Nell are to sort this delay out." Callen went to walked out, Deeks grabbed onto his arm.

"Not so hasty, Callen."

Sam's cell beeped, all eyes moved onto him. They watched with annoyance as Sam narrowed his eyes, not giving away anything to the other occupants in the building. He looked up, "Granger's bringing us a gift."

They heard footsteps and as the door opened, a tall blond figure, blindfolded, entered with his hands tied behind his back. Granger cleared his throat leading him in and looked to Callen.

"No one harms him."

"Who is he?" He asked him, taking the lead from Granger to speak in Bulgarian. He narrowed is eyes at the older man, clearly annoyed that he'd kept his talent of speaking his birth language a secret. He now knew that Granger had heard everything he'd spoken to his grandmother the night before. He felt exposed.

"Luca Comescu. The younger brother of Andrei Comescu. I have been told he's innocent to the illegal side of the family business and his brother's actions." Granger spoke of Joelle's murder, stressing to Callen that Luca had nothing to do with it.

Callen shifted from his spot, he wanted to hurt Andrei Comescu as much as he'd hurt him. He flexed his muscles under his shirt.

"No, you're not going to hurt this one. Direct orders from Hetty."

"Why, what's so special about this one? No one spared my wife and child, why should I spare his brother?"

"Because he showed kindness to someone close to you today." Granger stood his ground, "you're about to step over the line of becoming rogue, don't make me take you off this case."

The sound of footsteps had the agents on guard, they raised their weapons, until Ava, Sal and Nikita entered.

"What took you so long?" Callen continued to speak only in Bulgarian, hoping this Luca did not understand him.

"We had to make sure we followed Andrei. He's gone to a location five miles away. To a warehouse."

"So he's not in the beach house?"

"No." Ava looked over at the man blindfolded. She looked to Granger, "why did you take him?" She followed suit and only spoke in Bulgarian.

"To keep him safe."

She nodded, she recognised him as the young Luca who'd played the pure gentleman with their Nell earlier on the beach. She also knew he was the younger brother to Andrei.

"As long as having him here doesn't place us in danger with Andrei."

Luca stood still on the spot where he'd stopped after he'd entered. Foreign words was all he could hear, he made out his and his brother's name, but that was it. He was fluent in Romani, French, English and Italian. He'd not had a reason to learn any others.

He could hear a slight echo in the building, the floors were wooden, he could clearly hear footsteps as people walked around. Having his eyes blindfolded put his other senses on high alert. He'd watched many American films when people had been kidnapped and he had concluded to stay silent was the safest bet. He'd just walked Mirela home after his spat with his brother. After a year in Constanta, he'd concluded that his brother was up to no good. But what exactly, he had no idea. There was one voice in particular who sounded angry. As he concentrated on the man with the anger, he realised that it covered a grief that was deep. He kept his breathing deep and steady as he continued to analyse what was going on around him. After he'd been taken, no one had done anything to hurt him. He felt safe for the moment.

"Sit." Granger commanded Luca, ordering him in English.

Luca picked up the American accent, but why were Americans after him? Luca did as he was told, he allowed the man with with gravelly voice to lead him to a chair and he sat down. It was an old wooden chair, but it still felt sturdy. Had his brother ordered his kidnapping to teach him a lesson that he was the boss now? Was this because he brought Mirela into the family home? None of it made sense.


	13. Chapter 13

**The Lone Wolf and the Detective**

 _Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine._

* * *

 **Chapter 13**

Everyone watched Callen closely, particularly Deeks and Sam. Both men felt responsible for him the most, although his father sat in the corner whispering with Ava and Sal. Callen paced the room, his level of anxiety grew with each step. He'd walk the length of the abandoned warehouse and then stare at their captive.

Luca Comescu continued to sit quietly with a blindfold over his eyes. He sensed the tension from the one who spoke with anger and was filled with grief. He still had no idea what this was about.

Nikita decided to take it into his hands and walked over to his son. "Moy syn. You need to calm down, reserve your energy."

Callen glared at him, "I've told you never to call me that." Anger radiated from him towards his father.

Luca knew a very little Russian and picked up part of the conversation. But the mixed languages spoken since he had arrived at this location had him puzzled. What was going on?

"It will never change the fact of who you are, Georgi. You are my son, I did everything I possibly could to protect you and your sister from all of this. What do I have to do to prove to you how much you mean to me?" Nikita was heart broken, it tore at his heart strings to see his son in this state of rage and grief.

"There is nothing you can do, it's too late." Callen began to pace again and stopped in front of Luca.

"Why should I spare you?" He now spoke in Romanian, his accent was perfect, surprising Luca. He'd heard him speak three languages so far and suspected he could speak many more, in particular, English.

"If you are going to kill me, I think I deserve to know why? What have I done? Is this because I brought a girl into the family home? Did my brother, Andrei, send you to scare me into submission? I will not stoop low to his standards and be ruled by a wild bear." Luca replied in English, surprising everyone there. His composure remained calm, he'd become used to his brother and father's abuse since his arrival in Constanta a year earlier. He had no love for either of them and he was trying to figure out a way to leave and never return.

Callen's eyes widened, his lips parted ready to respond, but he hesitated. He looked over to Granger who had told them that this one had nothing to do with what happened to his wife and child. But Luca had revealed that he was Andrei's brother.

"Blood for blood," slipped from Callen's lips before he could retract. "Your brother killed my wife and unborn child. No one had the decency to tell her why she was to be gunned down outside our house. Why should I spare you?"

"I am sorry for your loss. If Andrei has killed them, he should be the one to pay. Else he will continue to hurt others." A shiver ran down Luca's spine, this man felt strongly in his resolve to make his brother pay, he wanted vengeance. "But killing me won't make Andrei do anything to stop his ways. There is no love between us. I was two when I moved to Marseille with our mother. Andrei was twelve and he stayed here with our father. They are alike, but I've had the love of our mother, I am nothing like them, nor do I wish to be part of whatever secretive things he does."

"Why are you here?" Callen growled, what was the purpose of having a Comescu to bargain with or kill for vengeance if he wasn't really one of them?

"My father forced me to come to work for his business."

"What business? Weapon trading, money laundering, slavery?"

Luca shook his head, "no. None of that. I help people set up their own business."

Callen heaved out a heavy breath, he fisted his hands by his side, the need to punch someone was great. This one was innocent, he couldn't harm him.

Deeks stepped forward, "he's innocent in all of this, Callen. Granger said we're to keep him here to keep him safe." His blue eyes studied his partner, making sure he understood.

"Don't you realise I know that?" Callen pulled from Deeks' hold, he began to pace and stopped again.

"What does the name Callen mean to you?" He directed the question to Luca again.

"I don't know, should it mean anything to me?"

"Yes, it should. Your family have set out to destroy my family. I have lost my grandfather, mother, wife and child to your family. Probably my sister too. I've also lost other family members who've I've never met. They keep coming to my home to destroy my family, and now my friends."

"I am sorry. I know nothing of this hatred."

Callen shifted, his muscles began to relax from hearing this. Luca was what he said he was and he believed him.

Nell came running into the warehouse, Hetty had told her that Granger had taken Luca to keep him safe. But she worried what this would do to Callen. She'd heard everything, she'd stood outside the warehouse and listened into the conversation between Luca and Callen.

"You must let him go."

"Mirela?" Shock to hear Mirela's voice ripped through Luca. "What are you doing here?"

Nell stepped forward and removed the blindfold and untied his hands. "I'm sorry they did this to you." Her eyes glared at Granger for what he'd done.

"We did it to protect him." Granger stepped forward in his defence. "Now he knows who we are."

"He won't hurt any of you, haven't you gotten that through your thick skulls yet?"

Sam gave a small chuckle, Nell was becoming more like Hetty as time progressed. Yet she showed a tenderness that even Hetty hadn't revealed to any of them. Hetty had a big heart, the proof was in her actions when she stepped in to save Callen at age fifteen. But Nell, she was her own person. Strong, intelligent and tender.

"Mirela, why are you here?"

She brought her attention back to Luca, "did they hurt you?"

He shook his head, "no. But I think he," he pointed to Callen, "wants to kill me for something Andrei has done."

Nell nodded. "Yes, and he has every right to feel the way he does."

Luca watched Nell's eyes mist over, "you're close to him." Luca's eyes moved to meet Callen's before turning his attention back to Nell. "I thought you said it was just you and your mother, I am confused."

Guilt washed over her. "I'm sorry, Luca. I wasn't honest with you. My name isn't Mirela. I work with these people."

"Work? I don't understand?"

She sighed and pulled a chair over to sit beside him. "I work for the U.S. Government." Her eyes moved to Callen, Deeks, Sam and Granger. "We all do, except for the three over there." Her eyes lingered longer on Nikita, her eyes snapped back to Callen's. "You found your father?" She looked up at him in surprise, "I thought he was dead?"

"So did I." She saw his hurt, his father had hurt him deeply, adding to his grief.

"The woman I told you who was my mother, is actually our boss. I was sent in to watch the comings and goings at the beach house. I never expected you to come over and be so nice to me. I really did enjoy spending time with you. That was real. Which is why you are here, to protect you from what is about to happen."

"What is about to happen?" His eyes shifted from Nell's to Callen's. He saw the rage ready to burst.

"Luca," Nell gently brought his attention back to her. "Can you tell us who in your family and those employed are working with Andrei?"

"You mean on his secret work?"

Nell nodded. "Yes."

Luca heaved out a sigh, "I don't know what he works on, he hasn't talked to me about it. I just keep my head down and work on what father set me to do. I work with a few employees in an office in town, but all the guards and everyone else, they work for Andrei, now that father is sick."

"How bad is your father?"

"Pretty bad. He's too weak to leave the bed. He has a nurse to take care of him."

"Can you tell us of anyone who is innocent from what they do?"

"You mean besides me and a few employees who work for me?"

Nell nodded.

"Only the nurse. She spends most of her time with father upstairs."

"Is there a time when she's not there?"

"She goes home every night at ten and she's back at seven in the morning." Luca swallowed hard, he could see how serious this group were in getting vengeance.

"Good. So there won't be anyone in the house we need to look out for."

Luca shook his head.

"We need to know, Luca, if you will seek revenge on us if we go in and kill everyone." It wasn't something she really wanted to say out loud, but it was the truth.

Luca shook his head, "no. I will be free to return home. I hate it here."

"Good." Nell looked over to Deeks, "after ten, you can lead the team in."

Marty Deeks nodded, Nell had proven her worth fourfold. The next time he and Callen had a brainwave to keep the women behind, he would have to remember just how valuable they are before they disregarded them. It wasn't that they didn't trust them, they wanted to protect them. But he was realising how wrong they were. Joelle wasn't a trained agent, Kensi, Hetty and Nell were. They should trust them more.

"Thanks, Nell." He looked over to Ava, "we wait until ten and hope that Andrei and his men have returned from their warehouse. If not, we go to the warehouse first."

Ava, Sal and Nikita nodded.

""You'll be out numbered. There are so many of them, only a handful of you." Luca looked at them with worry.

"How many?"

"Andrei always has at least ten men with him at any given time. If he's gone to the warehouse, there will be more there. Probably thirty men."

They hadn't expected the numbers Luca told them. Callen's eyes darted to Deeks, "we should hit them first at the warehouse. We attack the beach house last."

Deeks nodded, he'd been thinking of the same thing. He looked to Ava, "can you show us the way?"

Ava nodded. "Of course."

Deeks looked to Nell, "you stay here with Luca."

"No. You need every person you can get. I'm coming too."

"We need you to look after Luca."

"I can do that," Henrietta Lang entered, holding a rather large rifle in her hands. "If anyone finds us here, I can protect him."

Luca's eyes almost popped out of his head, "is she your boss?"

Nell smiled and nodded. "Yes. You'll be safe with Hetty."

Luca nodded his head, "you be careful, Nell." He'd heard the shaggy blond one say her name.

"I will." She checked her weapon, Sam threw a vest at her and she quickly strapped it on. She grabbed her backup piece from Hetty and strapped it to her leg.

The eight of them exited the building, there became an eery silence in the warehouse when only two of them were left. Hetty looked around her and smiled when she saw what she was looking for.

"Would you like a cup of tea, Mr Comescu?"

"Please, call me Luca. I've always gone by my mother's family name, it doesn't sound right for me to be called someone I'm not."

"Very well, Luca." She gave him a warm smile, "tea?"

"Oui." Luca watched the older woman prepare the tea, after a rather large lunch earlier with Nell, he wasn't feeling hungry, but he could do with some tea to settle his nerves. What was going to go down with his family and those who worked for his brother would free him from the restraints placed on him for the past year. He hoped that Nell's people survived and succeeded on what they came to do. He shuddered over the thought that his brother would kill a pregnant woman. He realised that there was no way he could ever have the happy life he had with his mother if he remained where he was. No wonder why Andrei had become angry with him for letting a stranger into the home. That sweet girl was a U.S. Federal Agent. More equipped to protect herself than he was.


	14. Chapter 14

**The Lone Wolf and the Detective**

 _Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine._

* * *

 **Chapter 14**

Callen suddenly wish they had Kensi there. He looked at the surrounding buildings to the warehouse where Andrei and his men were. They would have been perfect for Kensi to wait and pick them off one by one. But they couldn't have her, he couldn't be selfish any more than he had on this operation. Milly needed one parent around if this all went south. He looked to Deeks for direction, now that he'd proven to be the team lead on this.

Deeks signalled for Ava and Sal to take the west entrance, Sam and Nell the south, and Granger and Nikita the north. Callen and Deeks stood at the front, ready to enter. On the count of three, Deeks whispered into the comms, three.

They entered the warehouse swiftly. They could hear laughter from further inside the building, their invasion was unnoticed. Callen looked to Deeks and nodded. They moved up the corridor to where they heard the laughter and waited. They could hear the others move inside and waited for Deeks' command.

Marty Deeks' heart was strumming through his chest, the adrenaline was coursing through at the anticipation of battle. "Now." He whispered.

Gunfire scattered around the inner sanctum of Andrei Comescu's warehouse. Shelves of illegally attained weapons were being packed into boxes ready for shipment to Sudan. Andrei and his men found cover behind boxes and fired their weapons back. They had no clue who had entered and anger flared in his eyes when he realised that he and his men had let their guard down. They'd become cocky, that no one would dare to bother them. Now they were surrounded and the only way out was by shooting the intruders.

Sam pulled Nell back and pointed to a box of explosives. "We could aim at that box, it would create an explosion."

"We need to warn the others to pull back." She looked at him worriedly, he agreed.

"Pull back, about to make something explode."

Granger, Deeks and Ava responded. After a count to sixty, Sam fired his weapon directly at the explosives and dived for cover.

The building shook, black smoke billowed out of windows that shattered from the explosion. Car alarms beeped, but inside the warehouse it was silent.

Sam tried to move but he was trapped under shelving that had collapsed from the explosion. He tried to look for Nell, her worried expression appeared from above. "Get out of here while you can, Nell."

"I'm not leaving you, Sam. I could never look Michelle in the eyes again if I left you."

"Sam, are you okay?" Deeks' worried voice came over the comms.

"Sam's trapped under some shelving, it's too heavy for me to lift." Nell answered, as she tried to find something to lever the shelving from off him. Nell swung around when she heard footsteps, Andrei stood there holding a gun at her. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest, she had no where to find cover. She dropped her weapon and raised her hands.

"You. I knew you were no good." He snarled at her. "Tricking my brother into thinking you were a sweet innocent girl."

"My friend, he's stuck, please help him," she feigned innocence.

Andrei's eyes shifted to the shelving, as he did, he felt someone hitting him from behind. He struggled as he fought whoever it was who had taken him by surprise.

Nikita Reznikov fought with all he had as he wrestled the Comescu who had killed his daughter-in-law and only grandchild. "Blood for blood," he repeated his son's words. Nikita fired off the shot, killing Andrei, but as he pulled himself off him, he realised he too had been shot by Andrei. He stumbled back, blood poured out of his abdomen.

Deeks and Callen arrived, their eyes widened at the scene before them. Andrei Comescu laid dead on the ground, Nikita looked over at his son in shock.

Callen was torn. He'd come to help Nell get Sam out, but now his father was bleeding, a great deal of blood poured out of his abdomen. "Help your dad," Deeks told him as he ran over to help get the shelving from off Sam. Granger appeared, almost out of breath, he'd come across some more of Andrei's men as he followed Nikita in this direction. He looked over at Callen who'd ripped his vest and shirt off and held it into the bullet wound. "I'll call for paramedics." Grange dialled his cell and called for immediate assistance. He could already hear sirens in the distance. They needed to act fast, get out before the police found them illegally in the country.

Ava moved in beside Callen, "help your friend, I'll stay with your father."

Callen was dazed, he couldn't believe he'd treated his father in such a way. Now he faced losing him. "No. I stay, you help the others get Sam out."

"It's not safe for you to be found here, Georgi. You will be thrown in jail if they find you here."

"But I'm from here," his eyes stared at Ava, for a moment he saw his mother, a lone tear spilled from his eyes.

"No, not quite. You were born in Bulgaria, not Romania. I'm sorry, Georgi, but you have to hurry." Ava fussed over Nikita.

"What will they do to him?"

"It's okay. His current cover will keep him safe." She stressed, although she too worried over Nikita's real identity being burned and being sent back to Russia to be executed.

"Go."

Callen moved to help Deeks, Nell and Granger lift the shelving off Sam. After what felt like an eternity, with sirens coming closer, Sam was free and Deeks pulled him out.

"Can you walk?"

Sam nodded, Deeks and Callen helped him to his feet and led him outside.

 **A few blocks away**

Callen stood looking out the window of the small house that Hetty had arranged for her and Nell to stay in for the week. He'd not spoken to anyone since leaving the warehouse. He wanted to go to the beach house and finish the job, but while there were a dozen police around from the explosion, it was too risky.

Deeks looked over at him, he understood why he didn't relax. He needed to finish the job. He stepped up beside him. "When the others are asleep, you and me, we will go."

Callen nodded, it was a plan he preferred. After Sam being pinned down and his father being shot, he couldn't risk placing Granger and Nell or anyone else in danger. This ended with him. He was thankful to have Deeks who understood the need to finish the job they had started.

If was after three in the morning when Callen and Deeks slipped out of the house and made their way to the beach house. Dressed in black with nothing to identify them of who they were, they snuck up to the house and took the guards down, one by one. They quietly entered the house, more guards sat at the kitchen table playing poker. They needed to play this right before one of them rang the alarm. Deeks motioned to Callen for him to take the two on the left; he, the other two on the right. After checking that no other guards would enter and catch them in the act, they moved quietly from the shadows and slit their throats. They cleared the lower floor and moved up the stairs. As they checked each room, they came to the last bedroom at the end. They stood either side of the door and listened. It was quiet inside and Callen quietly cracked the door open.

"You keep watch," he told Deeks, who nodded, as Callen slipped inside the master bedroom.

Dimitrie Comescu laid asleep in his bed unaware of his unwelcome visitor. He was weak from his illness and was at peace until his airways became blocked. He lifted his hands to find a pillow held firmly over his face. He tried to wrestle, to fight to live. For a brief moment he thought he'd won, the figure who held the pillow stepped back and turned on a lamp.

"Do you know who I am?" Callen growled.

"You," Dimitrie's eyes widened. "no, you can't be him, you died a long time ago." For a moment he thought his mind was playing tricks on him.

"I am not him," Callen agreed. "I am his grandson. The last of the Callens. I will kill last one of you. That is my mission."

"No, there are more of us than there are of you. You can kill an old sick man in his bed, but my sons will avenge me."

Callen smirked, "my father killed Andrei. And you think Luca will fight for your cause? He is not Comescu, he is too soft, like his mother. For now, he is my hostage."

Anger raged through Dimitrie, "no. You lie."

"This ends with me. Blood for blood. There will be no more Comescus to hunt and kill those who matter to me."

Dimitrie moved his hand for his weapon, it laid underneath the other pillow beside him.

Callen fought him, to stop him from aiming the weapon at him. He pushed the pillow hard on the old man's face and suffocated him on his bed. Once Callen was sure all life had left him, he checked his pulse and left the room how he found it. If anyone became suspicious over the old man's death, they wouldn't find any fingerprints, his black gloves left no trail to trace him or Deeks. He moved quickly along the hall, Deeks on his tail.

"Where are you going?"

"They will have security cameras around, we need to destroy them."

Deeks followed him to an inner room and he watched Callen pick a lock on a store room to the rear. He realised Callen had been in there before and as he looked around, he realised this is where Alexa Comescu had shot Hetty and Hunter had killed Alexa to save Callen. A shiver ran down his spine, they needed to get out of there fast. Before light, he was certain the police would be around, especially after the explosion at the warehouse.

Callen found what he was looking for and cut the feed to all the cameras around the house and took a laptop and tapes. They couldn't afford to leave any traces behind. They made their way back to the house and managed to have a few hours sleep before dawn. They were trapped there until nightfall again, then they could move back to the border and to his grandmother. It filled Callen with hope, something to live for.

But sleep came in short bursts. The smiling face of Joelle haunted him from the grave. She laughed and held her hands out to him as he swung her around. They were going to be parents. The news filled him with hope for the future and love for his wife. How much Sam and Michelle had changed his life. Given him a piece of normality. Something he thought only others could have, not him. He woke up in tears, his heart hurt. The pain seared inside his chest and he pulled his knees up to his chest and cried. He'd had his revenge. Every Comescu who was after him and his family, whether blood or not, were dead. But now that his rage had been dealt with, he had nothing to stop the flood of emotion. The loss was deep and left a void that struck him unlike any other.

 **Bulgaria — three days later**

Three days passed, no word had reached them about his father from Ava or Sal. They'd managed to get out of Constanta, although Sam wasn't in a good way, he'd hidden just how much pain he was in and went down hill fast. They'd driven along the beach and got as far as his grandmother's house, when Sam collapsed. Granger, Deeks and Callen helped him back into the vehicle to get him to a hospital. Fear for his old partner grew deep within Callen. If they lost Sam, the guilt would be too much to bear. It should have been him, not Sam.

"You stay here, Callen." Owen told him, taking control of the situation. You spend time here with your grandmother. I can deal with the doctors, I know the language.

Callen hesitated, Sam was his brother, he wouldn't leave his side. "No, I can't leave him." He looked at Granger, his stubbornness wouldn't let him stand down.

"You'll hear about your father quicker if you stay here," Granger tried to reason with him.

"Nell can send word, I need to stay with Sam." He climbed in the back with Sam, signifying that was the end of the matter.

Granger looked to Deeks, "keep the women safe. Send word once you hear anything from Ava."

"We can take care of ourselves," Nell stepped in.

Owen didn't doubt it, but with the three of them leaving so soon after what had gone down in Constanta and Luca Comescu still with them, he worried just the same. "I'll send word to Washington, see if we can get a team to help."

"We're out of danger now," Nell tried to tell him.

"We may be, but Nikita, if his new identity is burned, the Russians will take him back and all hope for Callen having his father back will be gone for good."

Nell furrowed her brow and analysed the situation. "No news is good news right?"

"Let's hope so. In the meantime, we need Gibbs, just incase he needs to extract Nikita from Russia."

She nodded and looked over to Hetty, who was making a pot of tea and having a chat with Sofia, looking very much at home.

"Okay. Stay safe."

"We will." Granger exited the house and climbed into the driver seat and started the engine. They needed to get Sam medical attention as soon as possible.


	15. Chapter 15

**The Lone Wolf and the Detective**

 _Disclaimer: NCISLA characters belong to Shane Brennan. All original characters and this story are mine._

* * *

 **Chapter 15**

Sam laid in the hospital bed for two days before his eyes opened again. He looked around and wasn't surprised to see Callen asleep in the armchair. With his head rested on his shoulder, he'd drifted off sometime during the night, worried.

Sam tried to lift his bed up into a more upright position, the remote was hard to reach but he got there eventually. His body betrayed him, he felt weak. He furrowed his brow, he tried to think back to everything that had happened. He remembered the warehouse and shooting at the box of explosives. He'd tried to find cover, but the shelving collapsed over him. It all came rushing back like a wild storm, pushing everything in its path along with the tidal wave. He remembered the look of fear on Callen's face when he saw all the blood pouring out of his father's body. He tried to remember what happened after that.

Callen sensing his partner was now awake, opened his eyes and scanned them over him. "About time, thought I would have to wake you up with a kiss." He smirked, pleased to see Sam's colour had returned.

"What happened to me?"

"You decided to play MacGuyver and blow up a box of explosives. You got sandwiched underneath some shelving. We thought you were okay, but you collapsed by the time we reached my grandmother's place."

"What's wrong with me?"

"You suffered some damage low on your spine, you're okay, the doctor thinks you'll be up and running around in no time. You also developed a fever, which is why you collapsed on us."

"Where are we?"

"We're in Varna, waiting for you to wake up so we can fly you to D.C. Vance wants to debrief us all in person. He wasn't happy that we went into Romania without his approval. He's been holding off the SecNav's questions. Thankfully, no one in Romania knew it was us."

"How did Vance and Porter find out?"

Callen sighed. "Granger had to call him for a team. He needed Gibbs to find my father incase his new identity didn't hold up and he was shipped back to Moscow for execution."

"How is your father?"

"I don't know."

"How long has it been?"

"Five days." Callen walked over to the window and looked out at the harbour view. The location of this particular hospital was one he liked indeed. The view was breathtaking. Strangely, he felt safe in this place. Like he was home.

"You didn't have to stay with me for that long," Sam watched his muscle tense.

"It's only been two days we've been here, Sam."

"Yeah, but I know how much you hate hospitals."

"This one feels different. And the view is something worth staying for."

"What can you see?"

"The harbour."

Sam nodded, he understood how the water soothed him. "Well I'm awake, we should get out of here and face the music."

"Not so fast." Callen turned, relief washed over him when he saw his father sitting in a wheelchair, being pushed by Ava.

"You got out, you're okay," Callen's eyes ran over his father just to make sure.

"Yes. Ava and Sal managed to convince the authorities that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and that I was a Bulgarian national. They transferred me here yesterday. Ava finally got word to Sofia and that was when we found out that you were here also."

Callen turned to Ava, "thank you. I owe you his life."

"No you don't, Georgi. We are family. Blood. We do anything and everything to protect each other. Just like I had to hide you and your sister in America." She stepped forward towards him. "I know you most probably hate me for drugging you and your team and for abandoning you and your sister all of those years ago. But I did what I thought was best. You are still alive, Georgi. That is a feat on its own. The Callen name can continue." She hesitated before she went on.

"I have heard from Hetty what you've been through, you didn't deserve any of it. But you have a family who will stand beside you and fight your battles, risking their lives in the process. Your mother would be proud of you. Please remember, Georgi, just because they could stand beside you and we couldn't, it doesn't mean that we've loved you any less." She gently touched his arm before stepping back. "It's nice down in the garden, if you would like to wheel your father outside. Give the two of you a chance to talk. I'll sit with Sam."

"Go, G," Sam encouraged.

Callen nodded and walked behind his father and wheeled him to the elevator.

"You were born in this hospital, moy syn." Nikita began. "This has to be my favourite of all hospitals. Happy memories, the days when you and Amelia arrived into this world."

Callen bit on his lower lip, resolved to hold in his emotions. It explained why he felt an inner peace there, and he had to agree, the view was something. So was the garden. Autumn was in full force. The last of the heatwave had gone, leaving the region in a display of golden hues, reds and burnt orange that gave a burst of colour before winter.

"This is my favourite time of year," Nikita admitted. "I love the colour, it makes me happy inside. It reminds me of your mother. She was like the golden leaves that sparkle in the sunlight. The day she died was the darkest of days, like an eclipse of the sun. The moon forgot to get out of the sun's way and left a bitterness inside my heart everyday since."

"Why didn't you come and find me and take me home?" Callen quickly wiped his eyes as the tears threatened to spill.

Nikita sighed a heavy breath. "I tried to come, but it was too dangerous for me to leave Europe. All the work I had done to help others find a new life in the U.S., had put me in danger. It wasn't a life for my children to grow up in. I believed that you were safe in your mother's home country, living with the Callen name. Reznikov was no longer safe for you. I had someone watch over you, but you said he was killed by the Comescus?"

"Yes. He had photos, kept a record of every foster home and orphanage I ever lived in."

"I'd hoped you would have been adopted and lived a happy life."

"No one wanted a child without a name."

"That cannot be true." Nikita's heart laid heavily inside his chest, so much had gone wrong for him and his family.

"I had one family who were really good to me, but I was moved around so much, I never knew whether the next family were a good one or not until it was too late."

Nikita narrowed his eyes, "they hurt you?" He asked in shock.

"Some did. Some were nice." His focus remained on the view of the harbour, he allowed the movement of the boats rocking on the water sooth his troubled soul.

"I'm sorry. I wish I had known."

"All I wanted was a family to love me. To belong to."

"But you do, son. You have always had your family, we just couldn't be together. And I know I've failed you and your sister, it grieves me to know that I will never get the chance to see her again. But I want to be part of your life again, Georgi. To come back to the U.S. with you. What do you say?"

Callen shrugged, he'd lived too long without his father, but now he'd found him, he could stop looking. He had no idea how he was going to fill in his life now that he had to go home to an empty house. A house he could no longer live in. He needed to move. The first thing he'll do is to put it on the market to sell and find a new place. Start fresh. "If you want to."

"I do."

Callen turned and looked down at his father, "you do?"

"Of course I do. What kind of father do you take me for?"

Callen shrugged, "no idea."

Nikita shook his head, "I deserve that. I'm sorry, son. Will you forgive me?" He looked up at him with pleading eyes.

Callen took in a deep breath, and looked straight into his father's eyes. The old family film strip Deeks had found him flashed before him. He chewed on the inside of his cheek as his emotions took hold. "Yes, Papa." He leaned over and wrapped his father in his arms. Finally he was home.

 **A few days later**

Sam was cleared to leave with the rest of the team. Callen struggled saying goodbye to his grandmother, when Hetty suggested that Sofia come back to Los Angeles with them. The emotion that ran through the house between Callen and Sofia was so great, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Ava encouraged Sofia to take this opportunity to return to her other home. Her old house in Washington D.C. had been let out, it was time she sold it and moved to be closer to her Georgi.

The flight to D.C. was a long tiring one for the team, no one looked forward to the reception waiting for them at the Navy Yard. Three vehicles greeted them as they stepped off the plane, Gibbs smiled at Callen as he helped his grandmother down the steps.

"It's about time you introduced me to your family, Callen."

Callen smirked, "It's Georgi. My name is Georgi."

Gibbs wrapped his arms around his old friend, "I've missed you." He held him back, "you're looking better than I expected."

"I have good days and bad days."

Gibbs understood those rollercoaster days, after losing Shannon and Kelly. Gibbs's eyes settled on Nikita, he'd gone in a rush with DiNozzo to find Nikita, only to find that some family member had helped him out of Romania. "You brought your father with you too."

"Yes. He wants to live with me. I think I need a bigger house."

Gibbs nodded, "Welcome to Washington D.C., Mrs Callen." Gibbs shook Sofia's hand. "I'm Jethro, a friend of Georgi's."

"Jethro, it's a pleasure to meet you." She smiled warmly at him, "you are a handsome man. Are you married?"

Callen and Gibbs laughed, she hadn't lost her sparkle in all of her years.

"Too many times."

She laughed too, "if you were mine I wouldn't let you go."

"Now Bunicä, he's young enough to be your son."

"Are you telling me that I can't have some fun in my old age?"

Callen shook his head, "of course not, but you need to find someone more your age."

"Why? I've always preferred them young and strong." She winked at Callen, she was pulling his leg. He could see life with her was never going to be dull. Suddenly he felt better, a piece of his heart stitched back together after his grief. He knew that she and his father as well as the team were going to do what it took to help him through it. He couldn't have asked for a better family.

Deeks smiled over to him, it was so good to see Callen laugh. He couldn't wait to wrap Kensi and Milly in his arms again. It was good to come home to family. He looked at his other family, the one Hetty had given them, together they stood strong, ready to face whatever accusations Vance or the SecNav threw their way. They'd done their mission together and they had all survived. They had nothing to hide.

Nell climbed into one of the vehicles and looked out thinking about Luca. She had said her farewell to Luca back in Varna. He'd promised to call her after she'd settled back home. He wanted to see his mother again, he'd missed her and now he had his whole life to sort out and take back. He was his own man, and he would change his name back to his mother's name, with no link or residue left of the Comescu empire. He felt free after a year of hardship, meeting Nell had been a bonus, and he couldn't wait to see her again.

The End!


End file.
